Isabel Rivas calls for help to rescue fellow veteran actress Azenith Briones from alleged family abduction

The said post was by their friend Paul Macasiano, who claimed that Azenith was abducted by four unidentified men in her home and had been missing for about four days at the time. He also revealed Azenith’s apparent conflict with her children concerning money.   

Isabel added that she has reached out to the authorities for help in finding her friend, while also stressing that she doesn’t have a drug or alcohol addiction and is currently of sound mind.  

“I have talked to the proper authorities & we her friends will do everything we can to get her out where they are keeping her. She is not an addict, not alcoholic, not addicted to gambling & definitely not mentally challenged nor crazy as others claim. She is in her best state at 67 years young but yes she’s going [through] heartbreak [because] of family issues,” she added.  

In a separate post, Isabel shared that she is gathering affidavits from their friends to prove that Azenith is not mentally ill, which was being reasoned out by certain people who “want to extort money” from her. 

She also detailed that they were supposed to meet the other day, but Azenith has since been unreachable, especially since her Facebook account suddenly got deactivated. 

“We were supposed to have lunch but she never answered & her FB [account] was removed that’s why I am in this panic state [because] she’s a dependable person. Who can remove an [account] if it’s not who is close by her side at the moment of abduction,” she wrote, sharing Azenith's last captured photo at a dinner in a friend’s house the night she was allegedly abducted. 

Isabel also stressed that Azenith’s abduction is not just a “publicity” stunt to gain attention. 

“I plead [with] you friends not to believe that she is just doing this for publicity. Azenith Briones is not that [irresponsible], cheap & low life to do such [a] thing. She is definitely held [without] her consent if she is still alive w/c I pray she is,” Isabel continued. 

“This beautiful lady in the picture doesn’t look like she needs publicity, she’s not a threat to society or to anyone except people who [want] to steal her assets & take it by force,” she added. 

Conflict with children

In the third post, Isabel revealed Azenith’s conflict with her children—whom she would “always cry about” due to their alleged disrespect. 

“I’ll get straight to the point this time & let [the] truth be told even if other friends are worried for me too, but if we don’t face the truth now, it might be too late for our dear friend,” she began. 

She also shared how Azenith’s children have been accusing her of spreading fake news about the abduction, claiming that the latter is “in a safe place and just going [through] problems.” 

“They forgot that we are not stupid old women & we’re bonded by decades of friendship & time. We know each other's problems from top to bottom,” Isabel stressed. “I won’t waste precious time saying she’s been abducted if it’s not true!” 

The veteran actress went on to reveal that Azenith was forced to be put in a rehab center despite not being mentally sick. 

“Truth is they put her in an institution against her will, she was dragged against her will. She was shouting for help but nobody helped, her son was even there witnessing as she was being dragged out of her home to be brought to a rehab center,” she narrated. 

“She is not ok, she is neither mentally sick as they claim, her only problems were her children who she always cry about as she narrates how disrespectful they are to her, she was suffering silently from so much pain & disrespect,” she added, also alleging that in fact it was one of her sons who is using drugs. 

“They did this to destroy her [and] get all the assets they want her to give to them even if she is still alive,” she wrote.  

“Azi was telling us ‘paano ko ibibigay ang pera eh kung maubos nila at mag hirap sila e di ako din ang sasalo sa lahat’ [which] she has been doing since she gave birth to them 4, built houses for them in her compound, feeding them all thru her hard earned money,” Isabel added. 

Isabel also revealed that the tension escalated when Azenith’s children made their mom sign a “deed of donation” of her properties, which she declined. She also alleged that Azenith received death threats which prompted her to hire bodyguards for her safety.  

“This is the truth that I didn’t want to reveal at first [because] I was trying my best to be able to rescue her & be the go-between for the sake of reconciliation. I think now it has reached a point of no return [because] it’s been a week I have been pleading to them to pls have mercy & bring us to her,” Isabel said.  

“Azi is helpless now, if you know her, she must be crying day & night plus heavily sedated,” she added. 

Isabel also called for further help from the authorities and asserted that she would not stop until she saw her friend back and safe.  

“Nadudurog ang puso ko imagining her cries for help. To our authorities [please] give her justice, [please] rescue her at this time & not waste a day [because] the longer they incarcerate her in that place, the more she will regress, [lose] hope & even go crazy,” she added. 

Friends and followers also expressed concerns and wishes for Azenith’s safety.

Azenith is a veteran Filipino actress, some of her movies include Omeng Santanasia, Temptation Island, Basta Driver Sweet Lover, and Kalabang Mortal, among others. She recently had an appearance in a vlog by veteran broadcaster Julius Babao in August, sharing details about her properties.