Photo: Sandro Muhlach/Instagram
Actor Sandro Muhlach (pic) filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday charges of rape through sexual assault and several acts of lasciviousness against Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, two independent contractors of GMA.
“The evidence is strong... we will get the justice that Sandro deserves,” Muhlach’s lawyer Czarina Raz said.
The actor was also accompanied by his father Nino Muhlach who expressed the same sentiment. “Finally, we’ve reached this day that we’re finally filing a case... of course there will be court hearings and maybe soon we’ll get justice, which Sandro deserves,” the elder Muhlach said.
“It’s a relief now that we’ve reached this day. It’s difficult because you see your son suffering every day, unable to eat, unable to sleep,” he added.
In a Senate inquiry last week, Nones and Cruz both denied that they sexually assaulted the younger Muhlach.
During the resumption of the hearing being conducted by the Senate committee on public information and mass media on the issue on Monday, Nones was taken into custody by the Senate sergeant at arms after he was cited for contempt for allegedly lying.
The motion was made by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada who said the GMA contractor would be released only when he tells the truth.
Cruz was also present during the hearing while Muhlach attended the hearing virtually and talked about his ordeal in an executive session.
Repeated denials
During the previous hearing, Nino Muhlach told the upper chamber that both contractors, in the presence of GMA executive Annette Gozon-Valdes, apologised to him and offered to make a donation to his chosen charitable institution, which he turned down.
Nones denied making the offer at the hearing, but Estrada presented Gozon’s signed affidavit stating that he did so.
“I was asking you a while ago, if you offered Mr. Nino Muhlach financial contribution to any charitable institution of his own choice and then you denied it. Now here comes the affidavit signed by Atty. Annette who... is very credible saying that you indeed offered financial contribution to any charitable institution of his choice,” the senator said.
“It’s very clear in this affidavit that you are lying,” he told Nones, who insisted he did not make the offer.
“It’s clear in this affidavit, it’s clear in what Sandro said, there are even drugs involved, there’s sexual harassment involved, it’s not even sexual harassment, it’s assault. You raped the kid, you made him take drugs before you raped him,” Estrada said. – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
