Singer Gerald Santos has revealed that he was sexually harassed by a musical director when he was just 15 years old.
The disclosure was made by his manager, Rommel Ramilo, in light of Santos’ recent support for Sandro Muhlach, who alleged sexual assault by two contractors associated with GMA Network.
Santos initially shared his experience in a Facebook post, expressing sympathy for Muhlach and stating that he too had faced a similar ordeal in the past but had been denied justice.
A curious netizen questioned Santos on why he felt justice had not been served, pointing out that the musical director in question had been dismissed from the network. The netizen also asked if Santos had pursued legal action.
Ramilo responded, clarifying that despite the network’s dismissal of the musical director, there was no clear resolution to Santos’ complaint. Instead, Santos faced ostracism for filing the case.
“We were trying to force a compromise with them but he was released instead. Until now ay virtually banned si Gerald from appearing sa mga entertainment shows ng network. May justice [ba] (Did justice prevail)? [By the way], I’m his manager. We had to go through the lonely battles with a giant network,” Ramilo explained.
Ramilo further emphasized that the harassment occurred when Santos was a minor. “[Please] note that the harassment happened when Gerald was still a minor. Fifteen-years-old, to be exact,” he added.
Santos has yet to publicly respond to his manager’s remarks. While the network was not explicitly named, Santos was a contestant and finalist on ‘Pinoy Pop Superstar,’ a popular GMA Network singing contest hosted by Regine Velasquez, at the age of 15.
In a 2012 interview with the Philippine Entertainment Portal, Santos revealed that he had been a victim of sexual harassment two years prior but chose not to pursue criminal charges, opting instead for an administrative case.
This revelation comes amid Muhlach’s recent accusations against two GMA Network consultants, Jojo Tawasil Nones and Richard Dode Cruz, alleging that they sexually abused him during the GMA Gala night.
