NBI, researcher file act of lasciviousness rap vs former TV news exec

MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation's Violence Against Women and Children Division and a former researcher for TV5 have filed a complaint of Acts of Lasciviousness at the Department of Justice against former news executive Cliff Gingco.

The Revised Penal Code punishes acts of lasciviousness or lewdness by force or intimidation, or when the victim is deprived of reason or unconscious, or is below 12 years old.

The victim sought the NBI's assistance after Gingco allegedly molested him in a motel room while intoxicated.

In his affidavit, the victim claimed that Gingco invited him for drinks at a restaurant last August to discuss his dream of becoming a reporter.

The NBI summoned Gingco in September, when he denied all the allegations. He, however, did not submit a counter-affidavit to the NBI and refused to answer questions from the media.

The prosecutor general will evaluate the complaint against Gingco to see if there is probable cause to file a case in court.

TV5 fired Gingco after an investigation, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who said TV5 chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told him about it personally, announced on social media in August.

Tulfo had brought the issue to Pangilinan's attention after the researcher approached him for help through his show on that network.