Gerald Santos opened up about what he experienced during his newbie days
Singer-theater actor Gerald Santos encouraged harassment victims to speak up about what happened to them to spread awareness and avoid repeating the cycle.
Gerald broke his silence on the harassment he experienced when he was just a newbie in the entertainment industry after Sparkle artist Sandro Muhlach filed a complaint against GMA independent contractors Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz.
In his post, Gerald said that he can relate to Sandro because he also experienced harassment from someone who previously had a high position in the Kapuso network. The singer said that he hoped Sandro would have the justice he never had. His manager Rommel Ramilo explained that at that time, the singer was a minor, he was just 15 years old when that happened.
Gerald Santos and his manager brought up this matter to the management but they were just told to move on from what happened. Eventually, the singer was given fewer projects until he was no longer offered anything, and his contract was not renewed.
In a recent video he posted on his YouTube channel, Gerald echoed the previous statement from his manager. He also confirmed that he was sort of banned from appearing in any Kapuso show.
The singer also mentioned that until now, a Kapuso executive who is close to his “abuser” still hates him and this was the reason for the network ban.
Gerald said that social media played a big role in victims airing their grievances because, during his time, he was not able to do this. On the other hand, he condemned the “move on” comments that some netizens would still say to the victim.
Talking about his abuser, Gerald said that there was a time when he got a role in Miss Saigon, “Ang sabi nitong taong ito ay congratulations pa din daw sa akin kahit napakasakit daw nung ginawa ko sa kaniya.“
The singer fired back at this statement from his abuser. “Ang kapal ng mukha mo para sabihin yan,” Gerald said. He also dared his abuser to look in his eyes and said that he was not guilty of harassing him.
Gerald Santos also encouraged other victims of harassment to speak up. He said that nowadays, with the help of social media, victims can easily get the support they need. The singer pointed out that this is to raise awareness and make those in power fearful of doing wrong because people will fight against them.