Actress Plinky Recto disclosed on national television yesterday that her 15-month-old son was taken by her former lover from her condominium yesterday morning.

Recto said her former partner, whom she did not name on television, had an order from the Regional Trial Court of Bago City in Negros Occidental.

The Bago court had granted the man temporary custody of the child and also gave a 30-day protection order barring Recto from going near him, according to court documents Recto showed to reporters in Manila.

Recto's lawyer, Rowena Guanzon, said a petition for custody with prayers for temporary protection had been filed by a Negrense lawyer against her client.

Bago RTC judge Henry Trocino had issued a Temporary Protection Order allowing the lawyer to take custody of the child, she said.

Guanzon, however, said the judge was misinformed and cannot use Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004, against her client.

Guanzon said the filing of a petition against her client in Bago was forum-shopping, since Recto had already filed a petition for a protection order before the Mandaluyong RTC against her former partner, citing RA 9262 earlier.

Attempts by the STAR to reach the lawyer were not successful up to press time yesterday.*

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