Showbiz Roundup: Niño Muhlach fights for Sandro; Mother Lily laid to rest

The battle between Niño Muhlach and TV contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Dode Cruz ensued at the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media hearing earlier this week, with both sides maintaining their stances regarding the sexual abuse case involving the former child actor’s son Sandro Muhlach.

Meanwhile, Regal Entertainment matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde was laid to rest at The Heritage Park last August 10, with celebrities Tirso Cruz III and Ice Seguerra recalling how the famous movie producer helped them buy their homes.

All these and more, as we recall INQUIRER.net’s biggest entertainment news from August 9 to 15.

Sandro’s alleged abusers apologized — Niño

Niño Muhlach said his son Sandro’s alleged abusers have personally apologized for what they did, claiming that they had mistaken what transpired as “consensual.”

Speaking before the Senate committee on public information and mass media’s hearing, Muhlach said his meeting with Jojo Nones and Richard Dode Cruz took place at the house of GMA Senior Vice President Annette Gozon-Valdes, who invited them over.

In that meeting, Nones and Cruz cried and apologized to him, Muhlach told the senators.

Muhlach told the senators that Nones and Cruz said sorry to him, saying they thought what they did was “okay lang (just okay).”

“When they apologized, ang sabi: ‘Sorry talaga, sorry, Niño, kasi akala namin okay lang,’” he said. “When they said sorry, syempre, naintindihan ko na ‘yun. Kung ano ‘yung kwento ng anak ko, ‘yun na ‘yun. Akala raw nila, okay lang.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, who is a member of the committee, then asked: “Did they admit to you that they did something untoward?”

“Yes, Sen. But clearly, kung okay lang e di wala kami rito sana ngayon, ‘di ba? At saka hindi sana nag-iiyak yung anak ko. Ms. Gozon was our witness during our meeting,” Muhlach said.

Nones and Cruz were previously subpoenaed by the Senate last August 7 after they failed to appear before the chamber’s proceedings despite prior notice.

‘Bakla kami pero ‘di kami gumagawa ng masama’

Sandro Muhlach‘s alleged abusers finally faced the Senate amid allegations of sexual harassment against them, lamenting that they might have been prejudged because they are gay.

At the hearing of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, TV contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Dode Cruz insisted on their innocence of Sandro’s allegations that he was sexually abused following the GMA’s gala night last July.

“Bakla kami, oo. Pero hindi kami gumagawa ng masama sa kapwa. Bakla kami, oo, at may takot kami sa Diyos,” claimed Nones, reading from a prepared statement explaining their absence from the previous hearing.

They said they might be subjected to a “media circus” and “premature trial.”

Nones and Cruz stood their ground, insisting on their innocence.

“Hindi kami gumawa ng kahit anong sexual harassment or abuse laban kay Sandro Muhlach. Sa pagkakataong ito, sa harap ninyong lahat, mariing itinatanggi po namin ang lahat ng mapanirang akusasyon na ito laban sa amin,” they said.

Nones and Cruz further said that contrary to public knowledge, they are not GMA executives and are only independent contractors who are at the mercy of the network.

“Tumagal kami sa telebisyon ng more or less 30 years, at bago ang pangyayaring ito, ay malawak ang naging kontribusyon namin sa industriya ng telebisyon sa pamamagitan ng mga naiambag naming mga award-winning at top-rating television series at mga teleserye. Maganda po ang takbo ng aming karera,” they recalled.

“Sa katunayan, ang pagiging bakla namin ang isa sa mga dahilan kaya kami naging creative, artistic at nagkaroon ng skills na kailangan sa industriya. Buong buhay namin, ginamit namin ang pagiging bakla namin sa maayos na paraan para maitaguyod ang aming pamilya,” they added.

Niño bares texts between Sandro, Jojo

Niño Muhlach bared the text messages between his son Sandro and his alleged abusers, maintaining that it was the TV consultants who enticed the young actor to come to their hotel room after the GMA gala.

Muhlach sought to debunk the insinuations of the TV contractors that it was Sandro who offered to go to their hotel room, which was just across the hotel where the gala was held.

He said it was not his son who started the conversation with them.

“Nainsulto talaga ako noong sinabi nila sa media na si Sandro ang unang nag text eh. I’m just — that’s why I’m doing this for my son and for all the others na dumaan sa ganitong sitwasyon na walang kakayahang lumaban,” said Muhlach.

Niño Muhlach then revealed that the first text was sent at 3:59 a.m. on July 21.

“Hi, Sandro. Saw you kanina. Didn’t get to say hi. Nakauwi ka na?” said Muhlach, indicating that the message was sent by Nones.

Sandro replied: “Sir Jojo, sorry po. Di po kita nakita kanina. Naka check in po kami right now sa Marriott, Sir. Hope to see you soonest, Sir Jojo.”

Muhlach said his son and Jojo often exchanged pleasantries and greetings through text, such as “Happy birthday” and “Merry Christmas.”

He said Nones carried on with the conversation by asking Sandro next: “Enjoy. Still partying. Sino kasama mo?”

According to Muhlach, his son replied that he was just eating and that he was with his friends Nate and Elijah Alejo.

According to Muhlach, “Syempre, yung bata – nakita na siya lang mag isa, hindi na sumagot. Natakot,” he explained.

But after a while, at 4:27 a.m., Muhlach said Nones texted his son again, saying: “Hahaha, just kidding, [I am with] the drama [people]. But we’re wrapping up in a bit.”

Following Muhlach’s exposé, Nones’ legal counsel, Maggie Abraham-Garduque, said there was no denial on their part that it was her client who first texted. But Muhlach said: “Bakit nyo pinapalabas sa media na si Sandro ‘yung unang nag text?”

“Your honor, we have no — wala po kaming pinapalabas sa media na si Sandro ang unang nag text. We just mentioned that there was a message like that,” she claimed.

At this point, Sen, Jinggoy Estrada butted in, saying that Nones’ camp was, indeed, “making it appear as if it was Sandro who texted first.”

“It was not our intention,” Abraham-Garduque claimed.

Mother Lily laid to rest

Lily Monteverde, fondly known as Mother Lily, was brought to her final resting place at The Heritage Park in Taguig City on Aug. 10.

Mother Lily passed away on Aug. 4, weeks before her 86th birthday.

Her demise came just a week after the passing of her husband, Leonardo “Father Remy” Monteverde, on July 29.

During her five-day wake, celebrities including Vilma Santos, Tirso Cruz III, Dina Bonnevie, Snooky Serna, Aga Muhlach, Janice de Belen, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes visited and paid tribute to the Regal Entertainment matriarch.

Mother Lily is survived by his children Winnie, Roselle, Meme, Dondon and Goldwyn.

What Tirso, Ice owe Mother Lily

When Tirso Cruz III started his own family in the early 1980s, the late Mother Lily Monteverde gave him a piece of advice he would never forget.

“In one of our past conversations, Mother told me, ‘Ikaw, Tirso, matuto kang mag-ipon para sa pamilya mo… You should take care of yourself and your family,’” the veteran actor said in his eulogy at the film producer’s wake at the family’s storied property in Valencia, Quezon City.

And Tirso was, in fact, hoping to purchase a small home for his family at that time.

“When she heard that, she offered to help me buy the house I was eyeing. ‘Sige, tulungan kita,’ she said.

“It was a big thing for me because going out and buying a house is no joke. It cost a lot of money,” the actor remembered.

Mother Lily bought the house. Tirso promised to pay it off by doing movies. True enough, the papers had already been sorted out. “It was under my name,” he pointed out.

Another actor Mother Lily helped buy a home was Ice Seguerra. Or rather, she gifted the singer one.

After the former child star’s big break on television via the noontime show “Eat Bulaga!” and the sitcom “Okay Ka, Fairy Ko,” film stardom beckoned, thanks to Mother Lily.

The house was a bonus.

“The impact Mother Lily had on my career was immense. She was the first person who gave me my first break in film. Because of the success of the movies I did, she gave me a house,” Ice recalled. “It was located in Cubao and we lived there for the longest time … I think I was just 5 years old when she gave it to me.”

But more than the material assistance and rewards, what Tirso and Ice will always cherish about their relationships with Mother Lily was the support and concern she unfailingly showed them, and the opportunities to work with some of greatest talents in show business.

‘Eat Bulaga’ contestant’s seemingly ‘weird’ behavior

An “Eat Bulaga” contestant became a hot topic online after exhibiting what seemed like an “inappropriate” behavior on air, leaving the hosts and audience initially confused.

On Aug. 7, during the “Peraphy Express” segment of the noontime show, Angelito Calida, a contestant chosen from the audience, at first showed a “strange” behavior in the middle of his game after he unexpectedly walked toward “Singer Queen” Anne and tried to hug her.

Hosts Vic Sotto and Miles Ocampo stopped Calida and tried to talk him out of it.

The contestant appeared different as he wiggled his body and he also wasn’t responding well to the questions of the hosts before the game was played.

Calida was replaced in the segment as a medical team attended to him.

In a statement, “Eat Bulaga” said that Calida felt an extreme “nervousness,” which led him to become “disoriented” during the game.

In the Thursday episode of the noontime show, the hosts reminded their audience to let the management know whenever they feel something “odd” so that the medic can attend to them.

Karylle mourns death of dad Modesto Tatlonghari

Karylle was heartbroken as she bid farewell to her father, and her mother Zsa Zsa Padilla’s estranged ex-husband, Dr. Modesto Tatlonghari, who recently died.

She announced her father’s death on Instagram on August 11 while sharing glimpses of his funeral. Karylle didn’t disclose when and how old Dr. Modesto was at the time of  his death.

“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my dad, Papa M, Doc, Dr. ‘M,’ Moy, Tito M… He was a beloved man who lived life fully. Always a presence in a room, while also making sure everyone felt seen and heard. He, too, was always seen and heard with his handsome ‘cute’ face, youthful porma and booming voice,” she said.

Karylle described her father as someone who lifted people’s spirits. She said he was “always in for the fun” and was “truly present” during special moments of her life.

“He was a great guy, always brightening up people’s days. A Baguio boy (and Laguna lad!) at heart and topnotcher at the dental board. He loved basketball and his no-look shot.”

“His philosophy in life was that if your white rubber shoes (or sneakers) weren’t dirty enough, it meant you didn’t play or have enough fun. Fun! He was always in for the fun,” Karylle continued.

“High attendance and truly present in school events, Tito M was everyone’s dream dad. I was always lucky coz he was my dad,” the TV host said.

Despite his busy schedule as a doctor, Karylle is grateful to her father for watching the Manila run of the “Little Shop of Horrors” four times, saying it was their “favorite movie.”

Karylle is the only child of Tatlonghari and Zsa Zsa Padilla. Her parents split when she was only six. Their annulment was granted in 2011.

Padilla is now in a relationship with architect Conrad Onglao, but before that, she was a life partner of Dolphy, who died in July 2012.