Pasay court dismisses acts of lasciviousness case vs. Sandro Muhlach's alleged abusers
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.
A court in Pasay dismissed the acts of lasciviousness case against GMA Network's independent contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz for allegedly sexually abusing actor Sandro Muhlach.
GMA News reported that Pasay Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 46 granted Nones and Cruz's motion to quash the two counts of acts of lasciviousness against them.
The Pasay MTC said the case was an "overkill," as it's already an element of rape through sexual assault, which the Department of Justice had filed in the Pasay Regional Trial Court.
“Indeed, the acts of lasciviousness being complained of before this court are necessarily included in the charge of rape before the RTC,” the court said.
"[C]learly the acts are constitutive and/or simultaneous and are deemed absorbed in the rape case with the alleged sole intent and purpose of arousing and ultimately gratifying the accused’ own sexual desires,” it added.
The Sparkle GMA artist's dispute with Nones and Cruz began in August when GMA disclosed that they received a formal complaint from him against the TV consultants, but the network did not specify the issue.
The next day, Muhlach and his father Niño went to the National Bureau of Investigation to formally file a sexual molestation complaint against Nones and Cruz. The actor returned to the NBI office four days later to submit additional documents before filing a rape case against the two suspects at the DOJ.
Before the formal filing of complaints happened, the names of Muhlach, Nones, and Cruz made the rounds on social media after a local entertainment news website published a blind item claiming that two program executives sexually harassed a newbie artist in a hotel room. The alleged incident happened while an extravagant gathering took place on the hotel's premises, the report said.
The issue became the subject of multiple Senate hearings, with Nones and Cruz in attendance. Nones was cited in contempt at one point and was placed under Senate custody for allegedly lying under oath.
Nones and Cruz repeatedly denied the allegations in the hearings despite senators saying there was "strong evidence" against them.
They're also seeking to dismiss Muhlach's complaint, arguing that his evidence "is contrary to his allegations."
