Lawyer submits contractors statements to NBI, denies allegations in Sandro Muhlach case

Independent contractors of GMA Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz did not attend the hearing at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday in relation to the criminal complaint filed against them by Sparkle artist Sandro Muhlach.

According to Glen Juego's report for DZBB Super Radyo, the two respondents were represented by their lawyer, Atty. Maggie Garduque, at the hearing. Garduque submitted Nones and Cruz's joint counter affidavit and denied the allegations of sexual abuse against her clients.

Garduque also said that Nones and Cruz's mental and physical health have been affected due to the judgment they've received on social media.

A second Senate hearing will be held on Monday in relation to the criminal case filed by Sandro against Nones and Cruz. It has yet to be confirmed whether Nones and Cruz will attend.

"As of now po, kakausapin ko pa lang po sila regarding [sa Senate hearing], so I'll check on them regarding that," said Garduque.

Actor Niño Muhlach also spoke to the media and shared that his son Sandro is experiencing depression and is going through a psychological evaluation.

Per Juego's report, there is no rush for Sandro to return to work in GMA Network. Should he choose not to return to showbiz, the Muhlachs have a family business that's already being managed by him.

On Wednesday, Muhlach burst into tears at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media regarding abuse and harassment in the mass media industry as he recalled how Sandro trembled when he told him about the incident.

Muhlach added that if such incident could happen to his family, who is quite known in the showbiz circle, what more to other artists, especially the new ones?

Nones and Cruz did not attend the Senate hearing this week.

The two are also being investigated by GMA Network and have been preventively suspended, as confirmed at the Senate hearing by GMA Network Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes.

Muhlach and Gozon-Valdes also had a meeting with Nones and Cruz after the incident, where Nones and Cruz apologized to Muhlach.

Muhlach, however, believes that Nones and Cruz must still be held accountable.

Last week, Sandro was accompanied by his dad as he filed a criminal complaint against Nones and Cruz for sexual abuse before the NBI.

When asked, then, how he was doing, this was Sandro's reply:

"Hindi po ako OK pero kakayanin ko po," he told GMA Integrated News in a  text message.

????????????????????: Pahayag ni Atty. Maggie Garduque, abugado ng independent contractor ng GMA na sina Jojo Nones at Richard Cruz.

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— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 9, 2024

— Cody Cepeda, GMA Integrated News