Court junks motion to quash of two accused in Sandro Muhlach case

A Pasay court on Wednesday denied the motion to quash of the two accused in the rape through sexual assault case filed by actor Sandro Muhlach.

With this development, the arraignment and pre-trial on the case pushed through.

Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque, lawyer of accused Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, said the two pleaded not guilty during the arraignment.

“The motion to quash was denied so the trial proceeded,” she told GMA Integrated News’ John Consulta.

“So ngayon po is arraignment and pre-trial. 'Yung arraignment po, binasa doon sa dalawang akusado 'yung information o akusa sa kanila. At nag-plead po ng not guilty ang dalawang akusado,” she added.

(So now it's arraignment and pre-trial. At the arraignment, the information or accusation against them was read to the two accused. And the two pleaded not guilty.) 

According to the lawyer, the accused are not okay with the case.

“As usual, hindi okay sa kanila itong case na ito (this case is not okay with them) but they are still fighting for this case because they still will prove their innocence with respect to the case that's been filed against them,” she said.

Muhlach, in a separate interview, said he was happy with the decision of the Pasay Regional Trial Court 114 to junk the motion to quash filed by the accused. He said will keep on pushing the case.

“Of course po masaya kasi ito po 'yung pinag-pray ko ever since, 'yung matuloy 'yung rape through sexual assault [case]. And dineny na nga po ni Judge 'yung motion to quash nila kasi ginagawa na nila lahat ng delaying tactics e,” he said.

(Of course I'm happy because this is what I've been praying for ever since, for the rape through sexual assault case to push through. And the Judge has denied their motion to quash because they are already using delaying tactics.)

“Kahit anong paninira, pambabaliktad 'yung ginagawa nila sa akin, ipaglalaban ko ito hanggang huli kahit nag-plead sila ng not guilty. Sino ba naman kasing criminal ang aamin pagdating sa ganitong cases,” he added.

(No matter what defamation and accusation they throw against me, I will fight for it until the end even if they plead not guilty. Who would admit committing a case like this?) —Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News