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The singer said he kept the secret for nearly two decades because he feared revenge from the unnamed director.
MANILA, Philippines — Singer and actor Gerard Santos revealed to the public for the first time that he was raped when he was a minor by a former music director of the GMA Network — nearly two decades after the incident.
Santos made the statement during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on Monday, August 19. The committee has launched an investigation into sexual abuse cases in the entertainment industry.
“I wasn’t molested, I wasn’t abused. I was raped,” He said. (I wasn’t just harassed or abused. I was raped.) Filipino pop music superstar The alumnus said that while he was willing to detail what happened, he was concerned that the unnamed music director would retaliate.
Santos revealed that the incident happened in 2005 when he was just 15 years old and was a contestant in a talent competition.
“I didn’t have the courage then.” He said.For 19 years, I kept it to myself out of fear and shame. ” (I didn’t have the courage at the time, so I kept it secret for 19 years because I was afraid of retaliation and humiliation.)
The singer added that when he initially tried to file a complaint against his abuser, his allegations were dismissed and he was told to just “move on.” He said he only filed an internal complaint in 2010 but found no clear resolution.
Santos said that although the music executive was eventually fired by GMA, he believes that the alleged perpetrator’s colleagues within the network retaliated against him.
““The music director had connections with other executives inside, so I was angry…After I filed a complaint, even though he was removed from his position, I was also fired from GMA,” (The music director had connections with other executives within the network, which is why I was targeted. After I complained and he was fired, I was also removed from the network.)
When Sen. Jinggoy Estrada asked him if he still wanted to press charges, the theater actor said he would have done so long ago if he was not worried about his safety and career.
Estrada then asked a Department of Justice (DOJ) expert whether Santos could still pursue legal action given that considerable time had passed since the alleged crime. The DOJ representative said that while the statute of limitations for serious crimes such as rape is at best 20 years, the law may be more lenient on Santos since he was a minor when he was accused of the crime.
Santos recently Social Media Sympathize with GMA actor Sandro Muhlach, who filed a rape complaint against two GMA independent contractors, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.
The singer said he had “been in this situation before, but at that time, You have no voice, no social media (You have no voice, no social media. )”
“I felt the pain again and I couldn’t help crying as I imagined what happened to him.” He added. (I remember all the pain I felt and imagined what he went through, and I couldn’t help but get emotional.)
“But I will hold my head high, withstand the tremendous pressure, and let go of the past. I hope he can get the justice that I never got,” he wrote. Rappler.com
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