'Hayden cam' case: Action, comedy, drama -- and sex

MANILA, Philippines – Never mind substance. It was a blockbuster because all the important ingredients were there. You name it: Action, drama, comedy. All were present on Thursday when the Senate Committee on Women, Children and Family Relations started its investigation on the sex video scandal involving Dr. Hayden Kho Jr. and several women, among them sexy actress Katrina Halili. As with any blockbuster movie, crowd control became a problem. “This is a highly charged issue. Kaya kung sana maiwasan, sana ayoko nang mag-hearing [If it can be avoided, I don’t want to conduct this hearing]," admitted Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo “Jamby" Madrigal, the chairperson of the committee. Madrigal had to use a gavel to keep order inside the Geronima Pecson Room, where the hearing was held. Half an hour before the start of the hearing at 1:30 p.m., resources persons, reporters, Senate employees and kibitzers started pouring into the venue. Halili and her two lawyers were the first to arrive. They were cheered upon by the crowd, which included members of feminist organizations. But when Kho arrived - accompanied by his lawyer, Lorna Kapuna, and mother, Irene – the crowd had mixed reactions. While there were those who taunted him and called him “Manyak [Pervert]," there were those who could not help but gush on his good looks. “Ang guwapo pala talaga ni Hayden Kho [Hayden is really handsome]!" one female Senate employee said. T-shirts bearing the words “Beware of Hayden camera" and “I’m never gonna dance again" were also distributed, with the latter an excerpt from the song “Careless Whisper" which Kho and Halili were singing in one of their four videos. Halili and Kho were led to two separate holding rooms in the Senate. The hearing started almost an hour late after Madrigal talked with Kapunan, Kho’s lawyer, who reportedly threatened to walk out of the hearing if their request for an executive session is not granted. When Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada was informed of this during the hearing, he bristled, saying nobody has the right to threaten the Senate. He moved that the request be rejected and ordered that Kho, who was still at the holding room, be brought to the hearing. This earned another applause from the audience, most of which were obviously on the side of Halili. Chaos erupted when Kho – the “antagonist" in the blockbuster – was brought into the hearing by Kapunan through the room’s back door. Pictures were taken of the controversial doctor. Next it was Halili who entered the room. Her entrance, however, was almost overshadowed by an incident: somebody poured water at Kho. The man was Abner Afuang, an ex-cop and a tabloid columnist who said he did it for disgust at Kho. Members of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms arrested him upon orders from Madrigal. “Baboy ang tingin ko (sa kanya). Di dapat magtagal sa mundo ang mga ganyan [He’s a pig. He doesn’t deserve to live long]," Afuang told the reporters later in the day. Kapunan didn't find this funny. "This is exactly why we're requesting for an executive session," she bellowed. This was when Madrigal started entertaining the idea of an executive session, which she said she would be forced to order if the people in the room would not behave. Kho said he did not have an opening statement, adding he prefers to just answer questions. Halili, on the other hand, had a prepared speech – and it was a full of regret, lost love and later, vitriol. The actress said her only fault was that she fell for Kho’s antics and loved him. This drove many in the audience to tears. The speech was effective. Kho’s retort was that it was Halili who introduced him to drugs. He described their relationship as all drugs and sex. The crowd booed him. The blockbuster had obviously stirred emotions. It had served its purpose. - GMANews.TV