MANILA, Philippines – Two independent contractors of GMA, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, denied the sexual abuse allegations made against them by 23-year-old GMA actor Sandro Muhlach, after the GMA Gala last July 20.
In a Senate Hearing by the committee on public information and mass media on Monday, August 12, Senator Jinggoy Estrada questioned both Nones and Cruz’s “totally unacceptable” absences during the first hearing on August 7. In response, Nones and Cruz read out a statement they had prepared.
Nones apologized for not showing up during the last hearing, admitting they were both “scared” to be subjected to a “media circus and premature trial.”
He added that they were also afraid [they] might violate the confidentiality of the ongoing National Bureau of investigation (NBI) that started at that time and continues to this day.
According to Nones, they were told that they were not allowed to release all of their counter-allegations and evidence to the public because they were still subject to validation. All the materials held by the NBI are not yet considered evidence until they are submitted to the prosecutor’s office.
“Lahat pa raw po nang hawak ng NBI hindi pa ebidensya hangga’t hindi pa naipapasa sa piskalya. Subalit matapos po namin mapanood ang nakaraang pagdinig ay nakita po namin na hindi mangyayari ang aming kinakatakutan dahil sinabi at siniguro naman po ng kagalang-galang nating chairman, Dr. Robin Padilla, na hindi magiging korte ang Senado,” he said.
“Kaya humihingi rin po kami ng patawad sa kagalanggalang natin na Senador Jingoy Estrada kung naunahan po kami ng takot, kaba, at pangamba.”
(However, after watching the previous hearing, we saw that our fears would not happen because our honorable chairman, Senator Robin Padilla, assured us that the Senate would not function as a court. So, we also apologize to our honorable Senator Jingoy Estrada if we were overcome by fear, anxiety, and apprehension.)
Cruz clarified that they are independent contractors of GMA Network, and not “GMA Network executives” as some online posts have said.
“Subalit, hindi po kami gumawa ng kahit anong sexual harassment or abuse laban kay Sandro Muhlach. Sa pagkakataong ito, sa pagkakataong ito sa harap ng iyong lahat, mariing tinatanggi po namin ang lahat ng mapanirang akusasyon na ito laban sa amin,” Cruz said.
(We did not commit any sexual harassment or abuse against Sandro Muhlach. At this moment, in front of all of you, we strongly deny all these slanderous accusations against us.)
‘We did not do anything wrong to you’
“Alam po namin na konting pagkakamali lamang na nagawa namin sa proteksyon ay maaring ma-terminate ang aming kontrata at mawalan kami ng trabaho. Subalit, tumagal kami sa telebisyon ng more or less 30 years, at bago ang pangyayaring ito ay malawak ang naging kontribusyon namin sa industriya sa telebisyon sa pamamagitan ng nai-ambag naming mga award-winning at top-rating television shows and teleseryes,” he added, saying that their careers were doing well.
(We know that even a minor mistake can result in the termination of our contract and the loss of our jobs. However, we have lasted on television for more or less 30 years, and before this incident, we have significantly contributed to the industry through the award-winning and top-rating television shows and series that we produced.)
Cruz said the people they’ve worked with can tell that they are respected in the industry and have maintained a clean reputation with employers and colleagues for 30 years.
“Hindi naman po namin itinatangging bakla kami sa katunayan ang pagiging bakla namin ang isa sa mga dahilan kaya kami naging creative, artistic at nagkaroon ng skills na kailangan sa industriya. Buong buhay namin, ginamit namin ang pagiging bakla namin sa maayos na paraan para maitaguyod ang aming mga pamilya,” he said.
“Kaya napakasakit sa amin at sa aming pamilya na nababasa ang aming mga pangalan o online. Na may caption na bakla at kung ano-anong masasakit at mapanirang puri na bansag at descriptions.”
(We do not deny that we are gay. In fact, being gay is one of the reasons why we became creative, and artistic, and developed the skills needed in the industry. Our entire lives, we have used our being gay in a positive way to support our families. That’s why it’s so painful for us and our families to see our names online, with captions like “gay” and all sorts of hurtful and slanderous labels and descriptions.)
Cruz and Nones reiterated that they are homosexuals but they are not abusers, and they do not commit any wrongdoings against others. They also expressed a fear of God.
Ending their statement, they asked that justice be served for the accusations against [them], stating that they “can prove to the Prosecutor’s Office or the Court that [they] are innocent.”
While waiting for “due process,” Cruz and Nones asked the public not to judge them prematurely, even if they are already “convicted criminals” in the public’s eye.
Addressing Sandro, they said: “We did not do anything wrong to you, and you know that in your heart. It’s not too late to tell the truth.”
August 7 hearing
After Cruz and Nones’ absence during August 7’s hearing, Estrada recommended that the Senate should issue a subpoena ad testificandum for Nones and Cruz so they’d be compelled to attend the next hearings. Senator Bong Revilla seconded the motion, with panel chair Padilla approving it.
According to a GMA report, the contractors’ legal counsel Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque said that her clients “might be questioned during the senate hearing which may be tantamount to cross-examination during the trial of the case.” The hearing was called to discuss the policies of television networks and artist management agencies in relation to complaints of abuse and harassment.
Actor Niño Muhlach attended August 7’s hearing on behalf of his son Sandro, who their legal counsel said is still traumatized by the incident. He added that Sandro was even hesitant to file a complaint as he was wary of how this will affect his work and how the network will react.
In late July, reports began circulating about a young actor who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two individuals described as “GMA executives.” The incident was said to have occurred following the GMA Gala on July 20.
On August 1, GMA Network released a statement confirming that they had “received a formal complaint from Sparkle artist Sandro Muhlach against two GMA independent contractors, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.”
The network stated that they would “withhold all details of the formal investigation” to honor Sandro’s request for confidentiality. GMA announced that they had launched an investigation into the matter.
On August 2, Sandro, accompanied by his father, officially filed a sexual molestation complaint against Nones and Cruz with the NBI. – Rappler.com