DOJ indicts Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto for sex trafficking

The Department of Justice National Prosecution Service has indicted Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio “Tony” Meloto over alleged sexual abuse of two male beneficiaries in 2017.

In a 16-page joint review resolution, the DOJ found prima facie evidence to charge Meloto of two counts of violations of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 instead of acts of lasciviousness

The resolution said that “the acts committed by the respondent fall within the definition and elements of sex trafficking, qualified by abuse of authority.”

The prosecution found that Meloto’s behavior was “not isolated acts of sexual misconduct or lascivious acts” but a “structured system of sexual exploitation facilitated by organizational hierarchy and deception.”

This being Meloto as Gawad Kalinga’s founder and the then head of SEED or School for Experimental and Entrepreneurial Development where the complainants were scholars of.

The resolution highlighted that Meloto took advantage of vulnerability of the complainants who joined SEED to eradicate poverty in their families.

Meloto had significant control over the scholars who “were economically deprived, lacked family support or had limited access to private education,” it said.

The DOJ also said that Meloto employed “psychological coercion to be able to control the complaining victims.”

The complaints for sexual harassment and acts of lasciviousness were absorbed as sexual exploitation under sex trafficking.

The joint review resolution was issued “to magnify and show the systemic and repeated sexual abuse committed by respondent Meloto.”

The complainants were scholars of Gawad Kalinga programs when they allegedly suffered sexual abuse under Meloto in the GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan in 2017.

One complainant also experienced abuse while on a speaking engagement with Meloto for GK in Lyon, France.

Meloto left GK the same year following an internal investigation conducted by the NGO’s board.

GMA Integrated News is reaching out to Meloto and his lawyers for comment.

‘Baseless, harassment suit’

Earlier, Meloto in his counter-affidavit said that the accusations against him were baseless.

“I strongly deny and refute under oath the allegations made by the Complainant for being baseless, false, malicious, and improperly filed against me…the filing of this criminal case was nothing but a harassment suit,” said Meloto.

He also denied inviting the victims into his room in GK Enchanted Farm and abusing them.

Along with his counter-affidavit, Meloto also attached testimonies from witnesses to disprove the allegations against him. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News