CCTV footage shows Sandro Muhlach before and after alleged sexual harassment incident
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of rape and sexual harassment.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) released a CCTV footage showing Sandro Muhlach's condition before and after he allegedly experienced sexual harassment from GMA Network's independent contractors, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.
According to GMA's 24 Oras, the footage captured on July 21 showed Muhlach exiting his hotel room at 4:39 a.m. and crossing the street towards a neighboring hotel.
After going up the elevator at 4:48 a.m., he entered the room where Cruz and Nones were staying.
At 5:24 a.m., a hotel attendant was seen exiting the room after serving drinks to the guests. Muhlach finally left the room at 6:46 a.m. and returned to his own hotel room.
According to the 24 Oras report, the NBI noted that the actor's movements were different after he left Cruz and Nones' room compared to how he was before.
"Noong papunta siya doon sa hotel na nakacheck-in ang dalawang subjects, normal at relaxed ang movement ni Sandro, pero after noong nangyari 'yung insidente ng pangmomolestya, makikitang nagbago 'yung kanyang kilos," said Sra Zulikha Marie Conales, agent-on-case.
"Siya ay mabilis nang maglakad, balisa, at parang distressed and very anxious," she added.
Conales further detailed that Muhlach suddenly sat down near a wall in front of the elevator and waited for his friends to pick him up.
The NBI said that the videos were "corroborative" to the findings of the agency's Behavorial Science Division that Muhlach had experienced a "traumatic event."
"This is very consistent sa finding ng bureau na mayroong traumatic event na nangyari doon sa hotel kung saan naka check-in 'yung dalawang subjects na nirereklamo ni Sandro," Conales said.
The lawyer representing the two independent contractors meanwhile said that they still haven't seen the videos.
Muhlach's case is currently being discussed in the Senate as lawmakers are probing the alleged incidents of sexual harassment happening in the local entertainment industry.
During the hearings, he recounted being allegedly pressured to ingest drugs. He said he was allegedly assaulted while he was in a weakened state, but this was later denied by the TV director.
The Sparkle artist has filed a rape complaint against Nones and Cruz before the Department of Justice (DOJ). His lawyer, Atty. Czarina Raz, said that the complaint indicates rape through sexual assault and several acts of lasciviousness.
"The evidence is strong. We have the evidence that we need. We will get the justice Sandro deserves," Raz said in an interview.
The two contractors have submitted counter-affidavits and appeared before the NBI with their legal counsels. The DOJ is now reviewing the case.
