Hayden faces violence vs women raps

MANILA, Philippines – Celebrity surgeon Hayden Kho Jr. was recommended for indictment before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday in connection with the video recording of himself having sex with actress Katrina Halili.

The DOJ has received the recommendation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the filing of charges of violation of Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act) against Kho after completing an investigation on the complaint of the 23-year-old Halili.

In a transmittal forwarded to Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño, the NBI recommended the filing of charges for violation of Section 5 (h) and (i) of RA 9262.

Penalty is six years and one day to 12 years imprisonment, said NBI Director Nestor Mantaring during a press conference held late yesterday afternoon.

Investigation conducted by NBI Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes and Division (AFCCD) showed that the recording of the sex video of Halili and Kho occurred at the Holiday Inn, Ortigas Center, Pasig City in September 2007.

The NBI based its report on the complaint of Halili, and affidavits of Kho and Dr. Vicki Belo.

In her sworn statement to NBI, Halili claimed that she met Kho sometime between June and July 2007 when she went to the Belo Medical Group, which is owned and operated by Belo, in order to have liposuction performed by Kho.

“That at first, her relationship with Dr. Kho was purely professional – one of doctor and patient, as it was common knowledge that the latter and Dr. Belo were sweethearts. That their courtship started immediately thereafter characterized by exchange of sweet nothings through text messages until they finally became sweethearts in August 2007. That being lovers they would discreetly see each other and they would engage in lovemaking,” the complaint stated.

Halili added that “during the relationship, Dr. Kho repeatedly assured her that he loves her so much and explained that the matter of the latter’s maintenance of two ‘sweethearts’ had something to do with his having two ‘lives’ where in the second life, she was the girlfriend.”

Halili decided to end her relationship with Kho out of respect for Dr. Belo but they continued to exchange text messages.

In January 2008, Halili decided to finally end their relationship despite Kho’s insistence of reconciliation.

In recommending the filing of charges against Kho, Mantaring and NBI deputy director for special investigative services lawyer Victor Bessat cited the result of psychological evaluation made by their neuro-psychiatric division (NPD) as one of the grounds.

Halili, according to NBI findings, was found to be suffering from an adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

The NBI-NPD even recommended that Halili undergo psychotherapy to help her adapt to her current stressful situation.

Halili insisted that she did not know that the sex act was recorded.

Before the release of the sex video, Kho said in a popular showbiz magazine that there was no sex video and that the only video they had was the practice for a dance.

Halili said she had lost projects and endorsements even before the actual circulation of the sex video and the situation was aggravated after the video was posted on the Internet.

The NBI is continuing its investigation to identify those behind the uploading of the sex video on the Internet.

Businessman Eric Johnston Chua denied on Wednesday that he was responsible for the upload of the controversial video of Halili and Kho when he submitted his affidavit at the NBI.

Master CD

During the press conference yesterday afternoon, Halili thanked Sen. Bong Revilla, the NBI and the women’s group Gabriela, saying that she gets her strength from those supporting her.

Halili hoped that the case would continue and asked all other women victimized by Kho to come out and file their complaints against him.

Raymund Palad, legal counsel of Halili, said yesterday that based on the statement of Chua, it is Belo who has the master CD.

Based on Chua’s statement submitted to the NBI, Palad said that Belo gave Chua a blank digital recording disc to copy the sex video recordings from the laptop of Kho.

When the sex videos were copied, Palad said Chua gave the CD to Belo.

Upon the instructions of Belo, Palad said Chua deleted all sex videos from the laptop.

“It is clear that according to Chua, Dr. Belo has the master CD of the sex video recordings,” said Palad during the press conference at the NBI yesterday.

Palad also said that when Chua opened the laptop, it was Belo who entered the correct password.

Chua said that it was he, Belo, Dr. Mark Herbert “Bistek” Rosario and a certain Princess Velasco who saw the sex video recordings in the laptop, contrary to the statements made by Belo that she was not present when the laptop was opened by Chua. - Edu Punay, Sandy Araneta