Sarah Lahbati has left the Philippines again on the evening of July 16, a mere five days after she returned from a lengthy hiatus to face the charges that GMA Films president Annette Gozon-Abrogar had filed against her earlier this year.

“She just left last night, I think she had a flight, 10 o’clock last night, so she’s out of the country now,” her lawyer, Atty. Marie Glen Abraham, was quoted by PEP.ph as saying in an interview with GMA-7 news show 24 Oras.

Although Atty. Abraham only said that the young actress did not return to Switzerland (her home country), a source later told PEP.ph that Sarah went to Los Angeles with her boyfriend, Richard Gutierrez, and his mother, Annabelle Rama.

Atty. Abraham also took the opportunity to clarify that the young actress has not yet sued Annette and the other individuals involved for grave coercion, perjury, and libel, despite the earlier media reports saying so. According to the lawyer, Sarah only went to court during her brief stay in the Philippines so she can swear on the affidavits that her camp will use to formally file the cases.

“Medyo nagkamali kasi... kasi ang naano namin 'dun is we will be filing it. So, 'nung may mga nagtanong na na mga media on the issue of filing, so we just used the lingo of 'filed' dun sa 'subscribed' (There was a mistake…what we said was that we will be filing it. So, when the media asked about the issue of filing, we just used the lingo of ‘filed’ instead of ‘subscribed’),” Atty. Abraham explained. "Pero 'yun, we had the intention to clarify it when we were interviewed in Makati, but I believed that we were not... intensively explained that matter.”

Sarah has also expressed her openness to settle the issue outside of court, but Annette has made it clear that she will never consent to such an agreement.

“With what I've been seeing, I think kaya ni Sarah ang sarili niya and matapang na matapang siya (I think Sarah can handle herself, and she is very, very brave.). So I think she can face all the consequences of her actions," Annette said. "I'm not open to settlement."

(Photo courtesy of PEP.ph)