Sandro Muhlach admits forced drug use before alleged sexual assault

Sandro's father, Niño, says Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz apologized to him before the Senate investigation and said they believed the incident with Sandro was “consensual.”

MANILA, Philippines – Sandro Muhlach revealed on Tuesday, August 27, that he was allegedly forced to consume illegal drugs and subsequently sexually abused by GMA independent contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.

The 23-year-old Sparkle artist revealed this during the fifth hearing of the Senate Committee on Information and Mass Media on the complaints of abuse and harassment on Tuesday, where he appeared virtually. Cruz, meanwhile, was not present at the hearing as his lawyer said he was confined at St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City due to gastrointestinal bleeding.

Muhlach continued to describe the incident from the previous hearing and how he ended up in Nones and Cruz's hotel room after the GMA gala on July 20.

He said that Nones introduced him to a drunken Cruz, who gave him wine to drink, gave him a 500-peso bill and produced an unidentified “white substance.”

“There is no white substance on the table of the hotel and you are given the key card for your hotel room. You have no idea how to make your white substance. Nauna po silang hot no Dode Cruz. Tapos ako po 'yung pinasunod nila“, he said.

(Nones placed a white substance on the hotel table and then destroyed it using a room key card. They then showed me how to use the white substance. Nones and Cruz sniffed it first and then they forced me to do it to them.)

“Then, after a few minutes, Sir Jojo came to him. When it comes to Cruz, you can see your nipples, … he added. (Then, after a few minutes, Nones pulled me to the bed. Cruz took off my polo shirt and sucked both of my nipples. It hurt. Then Nones took off my pants. It was very obscene.)

Senate President Tempore Jinggoy Estrada asked the actor if Nones and Cruz had “taken turns,” to which Muhlach replied “yes.” Estrada then asked Nones if he would deny Muhlach's allegations.

“I would like to exercise my right not to testify against myself because the case is already with the Department of Justice. We will respond there because these are already the details of the case,” Nones replied.

Estrada continued to ask Nones several questions – when Muhlach arrived at their hotel room, who was present in the hotel room when Muhlach arrived, what the white substance was that Muhlach spoke of, what he did after Muhlach left – but the producer repeatedly invoked his right not to incriminate himself. His legal counsel also stated that they still have not been given a copy of Muhlach's complaint.

When Estrada asked how Muhlach left the hotel room, Nones said the actor said goodbye to them as his girlfriend was already looking for him. But Muhlach said the two contractors did not let him leave as Nones even tried to take off his shoes and make him lie down on the bed. The actor added that he insisted on leaving so Nones told him, “What happens here stays here.”

Muhlach's father, former child actor Niño, also attended the hearing in person and said that both Nones and Cruz had already apologized to him during a meeting organized by GMA Films President Annette Gozon-Valdes.

“I don't understand bakit all of a sudden, iba na 'yung storya nila. Kaya sila nag-sorry, kaya kami nagkita (why they're suddenly changing their stories now. We met and they apologized) because they wanted to apologize, that they thought it was okay, that it was consensual.'Akala po namin okay lang (“We thought it would be okay)' – those were the exact words,” Niño said.

Nones explained that while they apologized, it was “not in the context of an admission of wrongdoing.” He also admitted that they cried when it happened, but added that this was because “the allegations were so severe that they [them] emotional because [they] tried to convince Niño Muhlach that [they] has caused no harm and done no wrong.”

In late July, reports emerged of a young actor who was allegedly sexually harassed by two people described as “GMA executives.” The incident reportedly occurred after the GMA Gala on July 20.

On August 1, GMA Network released a statement confirming that it had “received a formal complaint from Sparkle artist Sandro Muhlach against two independent contractors of GMA, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.”

The network said it would “keep all details of the official investigation private” to honor Muhlach's request for confidentiality. GMA announced it had launched an investigation into the matter.

On August 2, Muhlach formally filed a sexual harassment complaint against Nones and Cruz with the National Bureau of Investigation.

On August 19, Muhlach filed a complaint with the Department of Justice for rape by sexual abuse against Nones and Cruz. – Rappler.com