Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto accused of acts of lasciviousness, sexual harassment
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.
Tony Meloto, the founder of the non-government organization Gawad Kalinga, is facing complaints of acts of lasciviousness and sexual harassment from two individuals.
The complainants, who were recipients of GK's youth programs like School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development in Bulacan in 2015 and 2016, filed their complaint before the Department of Justice in November 2024.
According to GMA News' 24 Oras report, alias "Daniel" recalled that in 2017, he was staying at a GK farm when Meloto allegedly called him to a room.
Meloto then allegedly touched him in sensitive areas.
"I felt helpless as I had to experience this trauma again in the hands of someone whom I completely trusted and respected," Daniel said in his affidavit.
Alias "Michael" recalled a similar incident in 2017.
"I sat on the second bed, shocked, questioning how such a dastardly act could be rationalized as being 'fatherly' to me," Michael said in his affidavit.
ABS-CBN News reported that one of the victims, who was not named, recalled a time when Meloto was waiting for visitors under the mango tree. Meloto was allegedly staring at him and commented, “Ang ganda talaga ng katawan mo, Igorot."
One of the victims also allegedly saw Meloto apply cooling gel on another boy's private part while massaging it.
“He immediately touched my penis and began to masturbate me,” one of the victims also said of Meloto.
Meloto and the witnesses he listed in his counter-affidavit denied the accusations, calling them "baseless, false, malicious, and improperly filed."
"[T]he filing of this criminal case was nothing but a harassment suit," he said.
Meloto denied inviting one of the complainants or anyone to his room at the GK farm.
“None of the witnesses of the complainant can convincingly testify to having witnessed me committing any act of sexual misconduct or abuse on the complainant or any other person,” Meloto also said.
ABS-CBN News reported that Meloto is also facing a human trafficking complaint, and he argued that one of the complainants who traveled with him was a willing traveler abroad.
“It is outside the pale of human experience for a person who is being subjugated to human trafficking, emotional and sexual abused, to be able to straightforwardly attend social engagements, much less international social events, functions, and to deliver laudable testimonials and speeches,” he said.
On March 10, Meloto filed a rejoinder affidavit before the DOJ to add three more witnesses, disproving the allegations against him.
The DOJ National Prosecution Service said the complaints and counter-affidavit would be reviewed by the fiscal to determine whether they'd be filed in court.
According to its website, GK was founded in 2003, though its work started in 1995.
The organization said it's "dedicated to [eradicating] poverty and [restoring] human dignity."
Meloto is no longer a GK board member, with GMA noting that he's been out of the organization for several years already.
In 2006, Meloto was the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, dubbed the Nobel Peace Prize of Asia, for his work at GK.
