Actor Niño Muhlach was moved to tears as he recounted to a Senate committee how his son Sandro trembled while recounting an incident that has led to complaints filed with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and GMA Network, Inc.
During the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media hearing on abuse and harassment in the media industry, Muhlach shared, "I was hurt when he told me what happened. I saw him shaking and almost could not hold his phone while narrating what was done to him."
Sandro first confided in his brother, Alonzo, about the incident. "Alonzo told me that his older brother said, 'Bro, I hope what happened to me will not happen to you,'" Muhlach added.
Muhlach expressed his concern that if such an incident could happen to their family, well-known in the showbiz industry, it could certainly happen to others, especially newer artists. "I'm not bragging, but for this to happen to a family that has already contributed so much to the industry, what more to others? What more to newer artists?"
Last week, Sandro filed a criminal complaint against Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz for sexual abuse with the NBI. Sandro's legal counsel, Atty. Czarina Quintanilla-Raz, clarified that GMA Network was not one of the respondents in the complaint.
Preventive Suspension
GMA Network's Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, informed the Senate that the network had preventively suspended the two independent contractors named in Sandro's complaint. "We immediately issued a preventive suspension order to the two being accused by Mr. Sandro Muhlach. Now we are waiting for their reply because, of course, we follow the procedures of due process," she said.
Gozon-Valdes assured that GMA Network would conduct a fair and thorough investigation. Despite Nones and Cruz not being regular employees, the network will apply its Code of Conduct to this case.
Subpoena and Denial
Senator Jinggoy Estrada moved to subpoena Nones and Cruz after they failed to attend the hearing, calling their "letter of regret" unacceptable. The motion was seconded by Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. In their letter, Nones and Cruz denied the allegations and chose not to attend the hearing.
Sandro also did not attend the hearing, citing mental and emotional unfitness. Estrada initially moved to subpoena Sandro but withdrew it after further explanation from the NBI about Sandro's psychological state.
Revilla later emphasized the sensitivity of the case, suggesting that forcing Sandro to attend might cause additional trauma. He insisted that Nones and Cruz should attend to address the allegations against them.
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