DIVINE Geronimo, mother of Popstar Princess Sarah Geronimo, is facing controversy once again but not because of her daughter this time, rather, due to complaints of labor law violations concerning her employees.
In the YouTube program of Ogie Diaz called “Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update,” the veteran talent manager disclosed on his December 17 episode that an unnamed employee accused Mommy Divine of unfair labor law practice during banter with his co-host.
According to the employee, Divine does not pay her workers overtime pay, delays salaries and does not give them double pay when appropriate as well as other government-mandated benefits.
She allegedly does not allow rest days and even puts employees who express a decision to resign to hold their personal belongings at their office.
What’s more, Divine was also described to have the habit of waking up her staff even at the wee hours of the night just to assist her with her things when gets home late.
And despite the heavy workload in the office, she serves her people non-stop with chicken head and feet most of the time.
She allegedly doesn’t care of her staff members when they get sick.
Image: Screen grab from Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube
Image: Screen grab from Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube
Image: Screen grab from Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube
Diaz also read a message from another employee who said that Divine told them to set an appointment first so they could get their stuff and pending salaries which were long overdue.
Diaz first ensured that the Divine being referred to was, in fact, Sarah’s mother.
“Ang nire-reklamo nga raw po ay ang mommy ni Sarah Geronimo na si Mommy Divine,” Diaz said.
“Meron pa silang chat na ini-screenshot nitong tauhan para patunayan sa amin na talagang meron silang conversation [ni mommy Divine].”
Diaz said that this was not the first time he heard of similar complaints against the controversial celebrity mom.
“Meron ding nagre-reklamo kay Mommy Divine [pero] nu’ng una nagduda kami… Binigay namin ‘yung benefit of the doubt kay Mommy Divine kasi baka naman din masyado siyang hinuhusgahan,” he said as he was talking to his co-host Mama Loi.
The talent manager even recalled what he personally saw of Divine back when he and Sarah were filming the 2014 romantic-comedy movie “Maybe This Time.”
He said that Divine would often come to the set with a trunk full of vegetables which she sold to the production team.
Diaz said he brought it up to say that Divine has always been a businesswoman. He later on advised her to settle the issues with her employees before she gets herself embroiled in a legal fiasco.
Divine has had a reputation in showbiz as the “overprotective” mother of Sarah. One of the most unforgettable issues involving her and her daughter was during Sarah’s secret marriage to actor Matteo Guidicelli in 2020 that resulted in an altercation between Divine and the couple.
She was the last to know of her daughter’s wedding to Matteo Guidicelli.
