Sam Verzosa has taken legal action against columnist Estrella “Star” Elamparo following her speculations about Verzosa and his girlfriend, actress Rhian Ramos, cheating during the New York City Marathon held on November 3.
Elamparo raised suspicions in her November 11 column titled “Celebrities and cheating at NYCM?” after noticing that the official race tracker for both Verzosa and Ramos showed missing times at the 18.6, 20, and 21.7-mile markers, only to reappear at the 24.9-mile point, roughly a mile before the finish line.
While Elamparo did not directly accuse the couple of cheating, she implied that the absence of these time splits was suspicious, prompting concerns about their race integrity.
In response, Verzosa filed a cyber libel complaint against Elamparo at the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office on November 19. Verzosa claimed that Elamparo’s column spread misinformation and defamed him and Ramos, seeking to tarnish their reputations.
“Actually ayoko sana ‘tong patulan na, pero kailangan may tumindig laban sa mga ganitong klaseng tao na nagpapakalat ng paninira at mga fake news online,” Verzosa said in our interview. He also mentioned receiving advice from friends and lawyers, calling Elamparo “notorious for spreading fake news.”
Elamparo, in her column, noted that the two were public figures, with Verzosa eyeing a political run in the 2025 Manila mayoral elections, which made their “honesty and integrity” a matter of public interest. She also expressed openness to a response from Verzosa and Ramos regarding her observations.
Meanwhile, Rhian Ramos has strongly refuted the cheating allegations. In a statement, she shared an email from New York Road Runners, the event’s organizers, which clarified that the couple had fallen behind the timing checkpoints due to the streets reopening before they reached those markers. The email assured that they were not penalized for the missing times and were still listed as official finishers. Ramos also posted a video showing her and Verzosa passing the 20-mile marker, further dispelling the cheating claims.
“I can’t fathom why someone would try to take that away from us and our cause,” Ramos wrote, stressing the need for Filipinos to support each other in their pursuits. She added, “Crab mentality is such a common term in this country, but can we Filipinos not be known for that anymore?”
This year’s New York City Marathon attracted over 55,000 runners, and Verzosa and Ramos were among the many participants in the prestigious event.
