Senate detains alleged sexual offender for continuous lying

By Leonel Abasola, Philippine News Agency

During the hearing, Estrada repeatedly gave Nones the opportunity to reveal the truth but the latter denied the accusations specifically on the offer to Niño Muhlach, Sandro’s father, that they will provide a donation to a charitable institution of their choice in exchange for forgiveness. (File photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on Monday ordered the detention of Jojo Nones, one of two independent contractors of GMA Network accused of sexually assaulting Sparkle artist Sandro Muhlach, after he was cited in contempt for continuous lying.

Senator Robinhood Padilla, committee chairperson, approved the detention upon the motion of Senate President Pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada.

During the hearing, Estrada repeatedly gave Nones the opportunity to reveal the truth but the latter denied the accusations specifically on the offer to Niño Muhlach, Sandro’s father, that they will provide a donation to a charitable institution of their choice in exchange for forgiveness.

The elder Muhlach said the offer was done in the presence of GMA Network, Inc. senior vice president Annette Gozon-Valdes, who signed an affidavit that the offer indeed happened.

“I was asking you a while ago if you offered Mr. Niño Muhlach financial contribution to any charitable institution of his own choice and you denied it. Now, here comes the affidavit signed by Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes who, I think, is a very credible person, saying that you did offer financial contributions to any charitable institution of his choice. What can you say?” a visibly irked Estrada said.

Nones denied it and also repeatedly denied the allegations that he and Richard Cruz, the other accused, told Sandro to sniff drugs before they sexually assaulted the actor.

“Maliwanag na maliwanag na sinabi ni Sandro may drugs na involved. May sexual harassment na involved. Hindi nga lang sexual harassment eh, assault. Pinagsamantalahan niyo ‘yung bata, pinag-take ninyo ng drugs ‘tsaka niyo pinagsamantalahan (It was very clear that Sandro said that drugs were involved. There was sexual harassment involved. Not only sexual harassment but assault. You took advantage of the young man, you made him take drugs before taking advantage of him),” Estrada said.

Estrada said they will only release Nones from Senate custody once he speaks the truth about the allegations.

Sandro attended the hearing online as his counsel sought for an executive session to further reveal what transpired.

The camp of Muhlach formally filed a complaint of rape through sexual assault against Nones and Cruz before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday.

Singer cries rape

In the same hearing, singer Gerald Santos revealed he was raped by a musical director of GMA Network when he was just 15 years old.

“Ako po ay ‘di po na-harass, ‘di po na-abuse, ako po ay na-rape po (I am not harassed, nor abused, but raped). I was only 15 years old at that time so, wala po talaga akong lakas ng loob nung nangyari (I don’t have the courage at the time of the incident),” Santos said.

He said he stayed silent due to fear of reprisals until he decided to file an internal complaint in 2010.

Santos said there was no clear resolution on his complaint.

Estrada told the committee that GMA actually terminated the musical director, adding he received information that abuses occurred during the 1990’s.

However, Santos believed the alleged perpetrator’s friends inside the company retaliated by pushing him out of the network.

He confirmed that he sought to be released from the GMA Artists Center, whom he alleged simply urged him to move on from the incident.

Estrada asked the DOJif Santos can still file a complaint for rape over a decade since the alleged incident.

State Counsel Nancy Lozano explained rape has a 20-year prescriptive period.

“I think it’s 20 years but I’ll check po because he was a minor when the crime was committed,” Lozano said.