Sandro Muhlach vows to keep fighting as court drops lasciviousness charge vs GMA contractors

MANILA, Philippines — Actor Sandro Muhlach has vowed to continue his legal battle after a Pasay court dismissed the acts of lasciviousness charge against GMA independent contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.

In an Instagram story posted Thursday, Muhlach clarified that while the charge was dropped, the pending rape case itself is far from over.

“The case wasn’t dismissed [but] just one of the charges. The court removed the acts of lasciviousness charge because it’s already part of the sexual assault case, which is still ongoing. Meaning, mas matindi ang magiging kaso (the case will be stronger),” wrote Muhlach.

Kapuso actor Sandro Muhlach INSTAGRAM PHOTO/SANDROMUHLACH 

“But we will still file the motion for reconsideration for acts of lasciviousness. Hindi sila makakalusot dito at ilalaban ko to hanggang huli! I will make sure na hindi na kayo makakaulit sa iba! #ENDRAPE (They won’t get away with this, and I will fight for this until the end. I will make sure you won’t be able to do this to anyone else again),” the 23-year-old added.

The Pasay Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 46 granted the motion to dismiss the acts of lasciviousness charge, stating that it was already included in the rape case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

“The acts of lasciviousness being complained of before this court are necessarily included in the charge of rape before the RTC,” the court stated in its decision, as obtained by GMA News.

The ruling further criticized the prosecution’s move to file separate charges for acts of lasciviousness, calling it an “overkill.”

“The prosecution resorted to an overkill by filing the instant Information for Acts of Lasciviousness when clearly the acts are constitutive and/or simultaneous and are deemed absorbed in the rape case with the alleged sole intent and purpose of arousing and ultimately gratifying the accused’ own sexual desires,” the court said.

The DOJ initially filed criminal charges against Nones and Cruz in October 2024, citing sufficient evidence to pursue a case of rape through sexual assault. Muhlach had detailed his allegations against the two independent contractors, leading to the filing of multiple charges.

Muhlach’s accusations first surfaced in July 2024 when reports emerged that a young actor had allegedly been sexually assaulted after the GMA Gala by two “GMA executives.”

On August 1, 2024, GMA Network confirmed that Muhlach had lodged a formal complaint against Nones and Cruz. A day later, he officially filed a sexual molestation complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation.

The rape case against Nones and Cruz remains pending before the Pasay RTC Branch 114.