MANILA—Nicko Falcis, a former business partner of Kris Aquino who the actress alleged used her credit card without her knowledge, said he is innocent of the accusations being leveled against him.

In a counter-affidavit filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Manila, Falcis refuted the qualified theft complaint filed by Aquino, saying they are "false, baseless and malicious."

"The case she filed against me are but a part of her scheme to coerce me into involuntarily submitting to her will and complying with her unreasonable demands, including that I and members of my family execute the documents she intended for our signatures," Falcis said in an article posted on Pep.ph, his first public statements after the issue made headlines.

• ‘We could have fixed this,’ Kris tells ex-business partner accused of theft

The "Crazy Rich Asians" star has accused Falcis of using for personal purchases a credit card she had entrusted to him only for transactions involving her company, Kris Cojuangco Aquino Productions (KCAP).

The amount in purchases supposedly stolen reached P1.27 million, but Falcis said the purchases were business expenses for KCAP, "which Aquino was well aware of and approved of."

"All those items were supported by receipts and properly recorded, with an explanation of each expense, in order to establish an audit trail, for Aquino’s and her accountants’ review," Falcis said.

MENACING MANNER

In his counter-affidavit, Falcis also alleged he was coerced by Aquino to sign a quitclaim and non-disclosure agreement inside her house on September 18, 2018.

“She was screaming at me in a menacing manner. I was in distress," Falcis said. “I was afraid of her and afraid that she might also have a seizure so I apologized to her to appease her anger."

Falcis said he reviewed the credit card charges questioned by Aquino and wrote a check worth P437,595.67, which he gave to the actress' chief of staff.

"I kept quiet, in accordance with Aquino’s demands," said Falcis, who then flew to Bangkok, where he took a short course to divert his attention. A few days later, he returned to the Philippines, where Aquino allegedly threatened his life.

"YOU F****** A***** NICKO! Dare to step in this country and you will be DEAD!” he said, recalling his conversation with Aquino on September 27, 2018.

"Aquino has sufficiently proven to me that she wields great power and has powerful friends, that she can easily violate my right to privacy of my travel records, and that she can track me down," he said.

• Kris incapable of having someone killed - lawyers

Aquino's camp denied she threatened Falcis' life, saying the actress "is not capable of having someone killed."

Falcis stressed the complaints filed against him by Aquino were meant to "to exert further pressure upon me, intimidate me and coerce me into involuntarily acceding to her unreasonable demands, and to execute the document and to cause my family to execute the document intended for their signature.”

"This is clearly persecution rather than lawful prosecution," he said.