A Department of Justice (DoJ) panel of prosecutors on 12 September effectively terminated the hearings on the rape complaint filed by actor Sandro Muhlach, the son of former child star Niño Muhlach.

Charged by Sandro in the 19 August complaint were Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, independent contractors of GMA Network. The two contractors were accused of rape, which allegedly occurred after the 20 July GMA Gala.

Lawyer Marieglen Abraham-Garduque, legal counsel for Nones and Cruz, said her clients submitted their joint counter-affidavit during Thursday’s hearing, refuting Sandro’s allegations.

“Nai-submit na po namin ang counter-affidavit namin and hindi na po magsa-submit ng reply ang kampo ni Sandro Muhlach kaya submitted na po for resolution ang kaso (We submitted a joint counter-affidavit, and the camp of Sandro Muhlach informed the panel they will no longer submit a reply, so the case was submitted for resolution),” Garduque told reporters after the hearing.

The lawyer noted that both her clients and Sandro were present during Thursday’s final hearing.

Abraham-Garduque said her clients, in their counter-affidavits seeking the dismissal of the complaint, stated: “Wala pong alegasyon na meron pong ipinasok sa bibig or sa anal orifice ng ating complainant (there are no allegations that anything was inserted into the mouth or anus of the complainant).”

“Makikita rin po namin sa documentary evidence mismo ni Sandro, sa medico-legal niya, na wala pong entry injuries sa kanyang anal orifice (The medico-legal findings presented by Sandro as documentary evidence show that there are no entry injuries at his anal orifice),” she added.

The lawyer further said that Muhlach failed to prove his allegations that he was drugged or intoxicated during the alleged rape.

“Sa dokumento po na sinubmit niya sa DoJ ay negative naman po ang drug test niya (The document he submitted to the DoJ shows that he tested negative for drugs),” she revealed.

She also pointed to the call logs between Muhlach and his girlfriend during the time of the alleged abuse, which were communicated via a social media app.

“This means na during the time na nasa kwarto siya, wala pong restraint. ‘Yun po ang gusto namin patunayan,” (This means that during the time he was in the room, there was no restraint. That’s what we want to prove) said Garduque.

According to Garduque, after the respondents filed their joint counter-affidavit, the DoJ panel decided to move the case for resolution, as Muhlach’s camp will no longer file a reply.

Meanwhile, the complainant’s father, former child star Niño Muhlach, who was also present at the DoJ, described his son’s emotions upon encountering his alleged assailants during the hearing.

“Galit, syempre; umiyak siya sa loob (Anger, of course; he was crying inside).” He added that they are hoping for the case to move forward.

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The “lucky” producer and lead actor of the Pinoy movie Her Locket is looking forward to securing a wide release in theaters before the Metro Manila Film Festival in December this year.

That person is Rebecca Chuaunsu. We say she’s lucky because her movie has been winning awards at international film festivals, most recently at the Sinag Maynila Film Festival. She won Best Actress at the Wu Wei International Film Festival in Taipei this year and at the Festival International du Film Transsaharien de Zagora in Morocco last year.

At Sinag Maynila, Her Locket won eight awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Chuaunsu), Best Supporting Actress (Elora Espano), Best Ensemble Acting, Best Production Design and Best Cinematography.

These awards are likely encouraging distributors to schedule a nationwide screening soon. Sinag Maynila booked its 2024 entries in a limited number of theaters in Metro Manila. On Wednesday night (11 September), Chuaunsu gave media who hadn’t seen the film during its premiere or the first six days of Sinag Maynila a chance to watch its final screening at Cinema 18 in Gateway 2, Cubao, QC.

Her Locket is a touching and well-crafted film directed by JE (Jose Enriquez) Tiglao, from a script he co-wrote with Mayne Miranda, based on a story conceptualized by Chuaunsu herself.

In real life, Chuaunsu is sometimes called “Dr. Chuaunsu” because she holds a doctorate in Communications from the University of the Philippines, where she also earned her Master’s degree in Theater Arts.

Despite these degrees, she seems hesitant to trust herself with writing scripts for film or stage.

Her Locket tells the story of an elderly Chinese-Filipino woman who suffers from bouts of dementia but mysteriously becomes lucid every time she looks at the pictures in an old locket she found while cleaning her bedroom. That woman, Jewel Ouyang-Nicolas (Chuaunsu), is supported in her old age by her lawyer son (played by stage actor Boo Gabunada), who was born from her marriage to a Filipino husband she defiantly wed while they were in college. However, the husband died under mysterious circumstances, and Jewel raised her son on her earnings as a film actress in the Philippines.

When Jewel is lucid, she recalls how her parents treated her as the less favored child, favoring her older brother instead. This reflects a tradition in some Chinese families of prioritizing sons over daughters. Despite this, Jewel was defiant from a young age. She despised being locked up at home and would sneak out in the middle of the night to go dancing at a disco. She even changed her college course without informing her parents. Eventually, she took a Filipino boyfriend and married him before her parents could arrange her marriage to the son of a potential business partner.

The story primarily revolves around a typical wealthy Chinese-Filipino family, where numerous traditions must be strictly followed, leaving little room for individual rights. For example, a son or daughter cannot be openly gay; if discovered, they are likely to be disowned and disinherited.

The film maintains a serene tone, even as the lead character, portrayed by Chuaunsu, experiences fits of anger and painful flashbacks to her childhood and youth, triggered by dementia.

A key figure in the narrative is a young woman hired as the elderly woman’s caregiver. She reveals that she was a victim of incestuous sexual violence, though this traumatic event is not depicted on screen but simply narrated by the character herself.

The movie includes brief, violent scenes, staged so quickly that they don’t feel overly jarring or disruptive. One such scene shows a chick being mercilessly crushed underfoot inside a cage (though it’s certain the crushed chick was a dummy).

Partly a period piece set in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the film highlights how, despite the defiance of youth during that era, patriarchs and matriarchs of Chinese-Filipino families continued to enforce traditional customs, including marrying only fellow Chinese-Filipinos.

After the death of Jewel’s father, she discovers that all of the family’s wealth was bequeathed to her brother, leaving her with nothing. Her son grew up unaware of the deprivation she suffered due to her traditional Chinese family.

Taiwanese roots

In real life, Chuaunsu has no Filipino blood. Her maiden name is Shangkuan, and Chuaunsu is her late husband’s surname. The Shangkuans were legally in the Philippines as Taiwanese, not Chinese. Taiwanese people generally do not want to be referred to as Chinese, as they consider themselves separatists from China. Taiwan does not see China as its motherland, and many Taiwanese advocate for recognition as an independent nation.

The Taiwanese community in the Philippines became naturalized Filipinos in the late 1970s. However, when Chuaunsu produced the play Binondo: Tsinoy Musical in 2018, there was no mention that, until 1978, she held a Taiwanese passport.

Recently, Chuaunsu has expressed that she hopes Her Locket will break down barriers, likely referring to the divide between China and Taiwan. However, the question remains whether her film will ever be shown in China. While she may permit it, China might not allow it, especially if officials learn of Chuaunsu’s former Taiwanese citizenship.

As depicted in the narrative, Jewel, a Chinese character, is forgiving and very generous. She forgives her greedy brother and even the person who steals her locket to fund aesthetic surgery. Her Locket is truly worth watching, with its serene Asian pacing and temperament.

Sinag Maynila entries are allowed a wide release a few weeks after the festival. Benedict Mique, director of the entry Maple Leaf Dream, knew even before Sinag Maynila began that his film would have a wide release starting on 25 September. The film stars Kira Balinger and LA Santos.

Her Locket will be screened in October at the San Diego International Film Festival in California. Chuaunsu will attend as both the producer and lead actor. Here’s hoping the film wins awards there as well!