Aussie dad demands fridge back from the wife he met in the Philippines: 'You can be deported'

[Lee]

Tulfo's show is a perfect place to arbitrate marital woes---LOL.

 

 

 

An Australian man's messy marriage split from his Filipina wife has exploded into a feud after he demanded the household appliances back. 

Russell Still and Joean Derutas' six-year relationship, which began online and grew into a blended family spanning two countries, disintegrated into fight over household appliances and child support earlier this year.

Their story began in 2018 when Mr Still met Ms Derutas online in the Philippines, eventually bringing her to Australia on a spousal visa. 

Together they built a life in Sydney and even started a food-truck business during the pandemic, and had a child together.

But cracks began to show after international borders reopened.

According to Mr Still, he became increasingly unhappy in Australia and wanted to relocate to the Philippines, believing life there was happier.

In July 2023, he moved back to the Philippines with their son, with Ms Derutas reluctantly following months later in an attempt to save the marriage.

But the relationship continued to deteriorate.

Russell Still (left) and Joean Derutas' (right)  six-year relationship, which began online and grew into a blended family spanning two countries, disintegrated into accusations of cheating, emotional turmoil and even a fight over household appliances

Their story began in 2018 when Mr Still met Ms Derutas online and later brought her and her young son Wesley to Australia on a spousal visa

'I was falling out of love,' Mr Still said.

'But I was trying to keep everything together for the sake of the family.

'She was accusing me of going to bars.'

He claimed the marriage had been strained by constant arguments, jealousy and tension over his social life.

Ms Derutas, however, said she felt increasingly abandoned before the marriage formally ended.

The couple's split finally exploded into public view when they appeared on Raffy Tulfo in Action, the Philippines' answer to Judge Judy watched by millions.

Sitting beside his new fiancée Juliet Octavio, Mr Still demanded the return of a 75-inch TV, a refrigerator, air conditioners, a queen bed and a sofa, items he said were his personal property.

'I've got receipts… it's a 75-inch TV, LG double-door refrigerator, I purchased two aircons in the Philippines, the queen bed I owned beforehand,' he said. 

Sitting beside his new fiancée Juliet Octavio, Mr Still demanded the return of a 75-inch TV, a refrigerator, air conditioners, a queen bed and a sofa, items he said were his personal property

'I'd like that back.

We had about seven electric fans. I just want two for the house that I'm living in. I'm not asking for much. I'm asking for one sofa. She's got three.'

It also emerged that he hadn’t been paying child support. 

Mr Still admitted he stopped making the payments because he was tied up with the legal bills from trying to retrieve his appliances. 

'I lost my job because I had to come back here and fight her,' he said.

'I don't have the means to support her. I have 12 pesos in my Philippine account. I've got about 800 pesos in my pocket. That's all I have. I've got maybe $30 in my Australian accounts. I'm now broke.'

Mr Tulfo then issued a blunt warning: a foreign spouse who causes emotional harm or fails to provide child support can be deported under Filipino law.

'If she wants you deported, she could do it a long time ago; she can even do it right now,' he said.

The fridge at the centre of the dispute

Raffy Tulfo ended the dispute over the appliances by offering to buy him a new fridge, aircon, queen bed and electric fan.

'You have another girl, and it hurts her a lot. (He was quoted as saying that he was broke----how can he now afford a GF but not a couple of fans??)

'All she has to do is go to immigration and tell them what she just saw, and that she doesn't want anything to do with you, and you're hurting her feelings.

'Plus you're not giving the right child support, and you're becoming a foreigner here in our country.

'Because of those things you can be deported.'

Mr Tulfo warned the Australian not to be 'mean to her' and encouraged the pair to discuss the matter in private after the show.

'Whatever she decides after you guys talk. If she says "I want him deported" - then you're out of luck,' he said.

'You can say goodbye to the Philippines. And I'm serious.

Mr Tulfo stepped in to end the dispute over the appliances by offering to buy Mr Still a new fridge, air-conditioner, queen bed and electric fan. 

'Sir all your properties, even before the marriage, should be shared 50 per cent,' Mr Tulfo said. 

'You said that you're broke, but let these appliances stay with her.

'I'm just going to give you a new fridge, aircon, queen bed and electric fan.'

Eventually the pair also came to an agreement on child support payments. 

'I'm happy to pay the 25,000PHP per month ($652AUD) in child support, but if Michael's expenses are greater than 50,000PHP then she needs to provide receipts and I'll pay half of that.

'As long as she does not push through with deportation orders, I still want to have unrestricted access to my son.'

She agreed and they shook hands.

Aussie dad demands fridge back from the wife he met in the Philippines: 'You can be deported'

[BrettGC]

Jerry Springer crap.

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Lee said:

'She was accusing me of going to bars.'

An Aussie going to bars?  Oh my!

2 hours ago, Lee said:

The couple's split finally exploded into public view when they appeared on Raffy Tulfo in Action, the Philippines' answer to Judge Judy watched by millions.

Sitting beside his new fiancée Juliet Octavio, Mr Still demanded the return of a 75-inch TV, a refrigerator, air conditioners, a queen bed and a sofa, items he said were his personal property.

'I've got receipts… it's a 75-inch TV, LG double-door refrigerator, I purchased two aircons in the Philippines, the queen bed I owned beforehand,' he said. 

 

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

Jerry Springer crap.

Jerry would be proud! 

 

[scott h]

Reading that is 3.5 minutes of my life I will never get back

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, scott h said:

Reading that is 3.5 minutes of my life I will never get back

You're just jealous because you don't have 7 fans!  

[JJReyes]

Forum Moderator:  Are we expected to take sides?

[Joey G]

2 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Forum Moderator:  Are we expected to take sides?

Good question... but I'd say he married up even on the lousy pic 

[Old55]

What future will that child have? 

[Dave Hounddriver]

13 minutes ago, Old55 said:

What future will that child have? 

Well he'll probably have a fridge.

[Mike J]

9 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Forum Moderator:  Are we expected to take sides?

Taking sides is optional.  There are always two sides to a story but  bringing his new 'fiancé' with him, claiming extreme poverty, and blaming the women for him not paying child support makes him look like Richard Cranium in my opinion.