Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of rape, sexual abuse, and mental health disorders.
“Diring-diri pa rin ako sa sarili ko. Napakahirap tanggapin lahat ng ginawa sakin.”
Sandro Muhlach has broken his silence regarding the sexual harassment and rape allegations he filed against suspended GMA-7 independent contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.
Following his virtual testimony at the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on Monday, August 19, Sandro took to Facebook, sharing a quote card that read: “I will not be silenced. The truth will prevail.”
This statement was seen as a direct response to the repeated denials by Nones and Cruz regarding the alleged abuse of the 23-year-old actor, who is the son of former child star Niño Muhlach.
In a follow-up post, Sandro opened up about the emotional turmoil he has been experiencing since the alleged incident after a showbiz event held at a hotel on July 21, 2024. He revealed the deep psychological impact the ordeal has had on him.
“What you did to me, it wrecked me,” his heartbreaking post began.
“Hirap na hirap ako makatulog since it happened. Anxiety and PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome] are hard to beat. Everyday akong hina-haunt ng trauma ko,” the young actor expressed his distress.
Sandro also expressed his concern for others, sharing that he warned his sibling about the dangers of experiencing the same abuse.
“Ayokong mangyari sa iba yung ginawa sakin kaya sinabi ko sa kapatid ko na sana wag mangyari sa kanya yung nangyari sa akin kasi hirap na hirap na ko.”
He reiterated part of his Senate testimony, describing the difficulty of dealing with the trauma: “Diring-diri pa rin ako sa sarili ko. Napakahirap tanggapin lahat ng ginawa sakin.”
“I’m trying my best to be okay para hindi mag-alala yung pamilya ko lalo na yung mommy ko na nasa amerika na araw-araw umiiyak dahil sinisisi niya ang sarili niya na malayo siya at hindi ako naprotektahan. But the truth is hindi ako okay,” he admitted his current condition.
Sandro expressed gratitude for the support he’s received, “Thank you to all my friends and family who always check up on me. I really appreciate it.”
“Ang laban ko ay para din sa lahat ng inabuso. The truth will prevail,” he concluded his post with a hopeful expression for seeking the truth.
In another post, Sandro shared a meaningful message from the Instagram page The Unsilent Survivor about sexual crimes against men: “1 out of 6 men are sexually assaulted or abused. You are not alone.”
Meanwhile, Nones and Cruz previously insisted on their innocence and asserted that they had no involvement in any form of sexual harassment or abuse against Sandro.
