Singer-actor Gerald Santos, 33, claimed that he was raped by an unnamed former musical director of GMA Network in 2005.
“Ako po ay hindi na-harass, hindi po na-abuse. Ako po ay na-rape,” an emotional Santos told the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, which is investigating the cases of sexual abuse in the entertainment industry.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who leads the hearing, then asked: “There are a lot of definitions of rape. How did you say it was rape?” to which Santos replied that although he was ready to recount the whole details, he was afraid of retaliation from the perpetrator.
Santos also said that he had kept the matter to himself for almost two decades because of fear and shame. “Dahil hiyang-hiya po talaga ako. Lalo na po nung panahon na ‘yon dahil ‘yung mga tao po sa loob ay parang dini-dismiss lang po nila ‘yung sinabi ko na parang mag-move on ka na lang kasi kalakaran ‘yan dito,” he explained, adding that he did not have the courage to speak up then as he was only 15 years old when the alleged rape happened.
Estrada questioned the resource person from the Department of Justice about the legal remedies available to Santos considering that it happened many years ago. The Justice department representative said that while grave offenses, including rape, have a 20-year prescriptive period, Santos was still a minor when the crime was committed so the law might be more flexible.
Estrada then asked if Santos would be filing charges to which the latter answered that he would have acted on it long ago if he hadn’t been worried about his career and safety.
“Ako po ay naninikluhod po sa inyo. After po nung nagreklamo kami sa GMA, natanggal po ako sa GMA. Kaya halos gumapang po kami,” said Santos.
In a statement released on the same day of the Senate investigation, GMA Network said the musical director was eventually fired by the network when Santos initially made a formal complaint back in 2010.
“Naninindigan ang GMA Network laban sa lahat ng uri ng pang-aabuso. Hindi kinukunsinti ng GMA ang anumang uri ng pang-aabuso sa mga artista, personalidad, empleyado, independent contractors, at iba pang stakeholders nito.
“Alinsunod dito ang naging aksyon ng Network matapos nitong matanggap ang formal complaint ni Gerald Santos noong 2010. Agad nagsagawa ng imbestigasyon at matapos nito ay agaran ding ipinatupad ng Network ang nararapat na parusa sa inakusahan. Tinerminate ng GMA ang kontrata ng inakusahan, at hindi na rin siya muling kinuha o binigyan ng trabaho pagkatapos nito,” it said.
More than a week ago, Santos took to social media to express his support to actor Sandro Muhlach who pressed rape charges against two GMA independent contractors, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.
Related story: Sandro Muhlach files rape charges vs. Jojo Nones, Richard Cruz
