Women's rights group saddened by SC verdict on Hayden Kho scandal

MANILA, Philippines - A group advocating women’s rights was saddened by the decision of the Pasig Regional Trial Court to dismiss the abuse case filed by actress Katrina Halili against Hayden Kho Jr. “Our judges should give credence to women victims of gender-based violence, otherwise abuses against women will be committed with impunity,” said EnGenderRights executive director Clara Rita Padilla.                                     

“Shooting a video of one’s sexual act without a woman’s consent definitely constitutes psychological abuse,” she added.

The Pasig RTC Branch 159 granted on Tuesday Kho’s motion for the dismissal of the case against him, citing the prosecution’s failure to present sufficient evidence against him.

Halili accused Kho of violating Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, for supposedly recording their sexual tryst on video and uploading it on the Internet without her consent.

To date, the National Bureau of Investigation has not yet established who uploaded the video.