Ronald Naldo Ricketts, popularly known as Ronnie Ricketts, is a Filipino actor, scriptwriter, film director, line producer, and martial artist who is the former president of the Philippine Film Actors Guild, and former chairman of Optical Media Board (OMB), a government agency that regulates recording optical media in the Philippines.
He had the chance to play opposite many leading ladies such as Beverly Vergel, Vina Morales, and his real life partner, Mariz.
Ricketts also co-starred in international action movies with Taiwanese actress Cynthia Khan in Ultimate Revenge (1995) and Angel on Fire (1995) and with American Actor Burton Richardson in One Percent Full (2007).
[1][2] On October 21, 2009, former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, appointed Ricketts as the chairman of the Optical Media Board (OMB) following the resignation of television host Edu Manzano.
On May 27, 2010, the OMB initiated a raid on the Sky High Marketing Corporation offices in Quiapo, Manila (the district where flea market stalls selling pirated copies of films, television shows and songs in CD [includes VCD] and DVD optical disc formats are common, designated by the Office of the United States Trade Representative [USTR] as "notorious piracy hotspot"[4]), arresting three Chinese nationals.
[7] In August 2014, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered the suspension of Ricketts, Executive Director Cyrus Paul Valenzuela, and three other OMB officials for their "neglect of duty".
[5] In June 2015, Prosecutor Janet Cabigas-Vejerano formally filed charges of graft against the five officials for their illicit returning of pirated works.
[6] Despite the indictment, Ricketts continued to serve as chairman of OMB until January 2016, when the Sandiganbayan suspended him and three others (not including Valenzuela) from their positions while their trial is on hold and replaced by lawyer Anselmo B.
[13] The Supreme Court's Second Division, in a decision promulgated on March 16, 2022 but only publicized on July 28, reversed the conviction of Ricketts which led to his acquittal; however, affirmed that of another.
He is also sharing self-defense and martial arts techniques in social media and internet streaming platforms through his YouTube channel Ricketts TV.