The rumor mill is once again in full swing as the alleged marital scandal involving Ivana Alawi, Albee Benitez, and his wife Nicki Lopez makes headlines.
But this isn’t the first time Ivana has been linked to Albee. Here’s the agenda report from Mojo Jon Manalo.
Currently making waves is the issue involving billionaire congressman of Negros Occidental, Albee Benitez, after a copy of the complaint affidavit filed by his wife, Nicki Lopez Benitez, surfaced on social media.
Albee is being charged with violating RA 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, specifically for marital infidelity. According to the affidavit, his actions caused severe mental and emotional distress to Nicki.
The name of actress and vlogger Ivana Alawi was also mentioned in the affidavit as the alleged mistress of the congressman. Rumors of a romantic relationship between Ivana and Albee first surfaced online in February 2024 after the two were reportedly spotted together in Baguio and at an airport bound for Tokyo, Japan.
Ivana strongly denied the allegations on February 10, 2024, claiming she only met the congressman, who was the former mayor of Bacolod, through work. She also stated that she was dating a “respectable businessman” at the time, not a politician. In a vlog posted in December 2023, Ivana shared that she was seeing someone and was happy in her personal life.
Albee also released a statement on February 12, 2024, denying any truth to the allegations involving him and Ivana, calling them baseless and misleading. He apologized to Ivana and her family, who, according to him, were unfairly dragged into his personal issues.
However, rumors persisted. In January 2025, it was widely speculated that Albee had gifted Ivana a mansion in Alabang worth ₱400 million. Nicki claimed she confirmed her husband’s infidelity upon receiving a petition for the Declaration of Nullity of Marriage, where Benitez allegedly admitted to fathering two illegitimate children.
Nicki filed her complaint affidavit in April 2025, stating that Albee mentioned Ivana’s name during his campaign for congressman of Negros Occidental in the recent midterm elections. Nicki said she confronted Albee about it, but he told her there was nothing to worry about and that his publicist was already handling the matter. However, Albee reportedly never denied the issue between him and Ivana.
Albee’s legal counsel, Attorney Peter Sanchez, released a statement regarding Nicki’s VAWC complaint, firmly denying the accusations and labeling them as baseless and retaliatory. He also noted the questionable timing of the complaint, which came only after Albee initiated annulment proceedings in 2024. Furthermore, Albee’s camp clarified that the couple’s properties had been legally separated since 2004. Still, Albee continued to provide Nicki with funds for travel, business ventures, her staff, and credit card expenses.
It was also noted that Albee found it unsettling that a third party had been dragged into their marital conflict. Congressman Benitez is reportedly among those being considered for the House Speaker position in the 20th Congress. Despite the controversy, he assured the public that he would cooperate with all necessary legal proceedings.
