DOJ summons Belo, Chua, 'Bistek' over spread of sex video

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday summoned cosmetic surgeon Hayden Kho Jr., his former girlfriend and popular cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo, and two others linked to the spread of a controversial sex video.

DOJ prosecutors led by Olongapo Acting City Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos also ordered Eric Johnston Chua and Dr. Mark Herbert “Bistek” Rosario to appear before the panel on June 19 and 25 for preliminary investigation on the complaint filed by actress-model Katrina Halili.

De los Santos ordered the four respondents to submit their respective counter-affidavits on charges of violation of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act.

De los Santos assigned Senior State Prosecutor Rose Ann Elepaño-Balauag, State Prosecutors Maria Lourdes Uy, Hjilmar Quintana Jr. and Xerxes Garcia as members of the panel that will investigate Halili’s complaint.

Halili sought the indictment of Kho for allegedly videotaping their intimate moments without her consent.

Belo, Chua and Rosario were accused of having uploaded the sex video to the Internet, leading to its public distribution.

Halili’s counsel Raymund Palad said the complaint was based on “admissions made in television interviews” by the three respondents and the affidavits they submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Halili added that because of the release of the sex video, she lost her projects and product endorsements. The model-actress took her oath before State Prosecutor Romeo Senson.

Halili cited the affidavit made by Chua supposedly admitting that he had been instructed by Belo to retrieve the sex videos in Kho’s laptop.

Chua claimed that he could not have uploaded the video since he had deleted it even before it came out on the Internet.

Chua added he did not have the master copy of the sex video and gave his only copy on a thumb drive (USB) to Belo.

Palad said it was Chua who implicated Belo as having given the instructions to copy and save the videos in a USB before deleting the videos from Kho’s laptop.

“So he has no copy at all and the master copy (hard drive) is in the hands of Belo,” Palad pointed out.

The NBI earlier said they are not ruling out the possibility of including Belo as accessory in the complaint after Chua had claimed in his affidavit that he gave the master copy, on the computer hard drive, of the sex videos to the lady cosmetic surgeon.

Palmer Mallari, executive officer of the NBI Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division (AFCCD), said they have to rely on the technical aspect of the case to identify those behind the public distribution of the racy videos.

Last Friday, Kho was recommended for indictment at the DOJ.

The NBI had recommended to Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño that Kho be charged with violation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act.

The NBI said the recording of the sex video between 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 Belo.

Halili had claimed meeting Kho in Belo’s medical clinic in 2007 for a liposuction operation. Eventually, they became discreet lovers notwithstanding the relationship of Kho and Belo.

Halili said she decided to end her relationship with Kho out of respect for Belo in January 2008, despite Kho’s insistence of reconciliation.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring and Deputy Director for Special Investigative Services Victor Bessat said the result of psychological evaluation made by their neuro-psychiatric experts was cited among the grounds for charging Kho.

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

The NBI psychiatrists even recommended psychotherapy for Halili to help her adapt to stress caused by the public viewing of the controversial sex video.