Hayden wants Senate probe done in executive session

MANILA, Philippines - Controversial celebrity doctor Hayden Kho Jr. on Tuesday asked the Senate to conduct in executive session its hearing on the proliferation of his sex videos with various women, including actress Katrina Halili. Through a letter sent by his lawyer Lorna Kapunan, Kho said he is willing to attend the scheduled hearing on Thursday but requested that such be held behind closed doors by the Senate committees on youth, women and family relations and the public information and mass media. "However, he [Kho] is concerned that further publicity on the matter may aggravate the embarrassment, pain and suffering that certain parties have had to experience as a result of the unauthorized dissemination and distribution of the very private videos," the letter read. It further said that in many incidents, the Senate has allowed, for good reasons, the conduct of executive session in lieu of public hearing. "The conduct of a very publicized hearing may only work to aggravate the violation of the right to privacy and cause further anguish to those who appeared in the videos," the letter added. It said for the past week, the media and Internet frenzy on the matter worsened the humiliation suffered by the women in the videos and even by their families and friends. It said the frenzy apparently increased to unbelievable proportions, the demand for illegal DVDs and CDs, all to the benefit of those who have caused the unauthorized dissemination and distribution of the videos. It added that the objectives of holding the public hearings are achievable whether or not there would be media coverage. "The very same things that are intended to be discussed in the public hearings may well be covered in executive sessions, but without the unnecessary adverse effects," the letter stated. Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal, chairperson of the youth, women and family relations committee, has yet to act on Kho's. Executive session Earlier in the day, however, Madrigal said she will only conduct an executive session when the discussion reaches the personal matters between Kho and Halili and, if necessary, the showing of the videos. "Delicate matters that involve the personal matters involving Halili and Kho would be at my discretion if I would conduct an executive session or not, also the showing of videos," she told reporters. Others invited to attend the hearing were Dr. Victoria Belo, Halili through lawyers Marlito Tan and Raymund Palad; Maricar Reyes through manager Cecille Carpio; Erik Johnston Chua, Lolit Solis, Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral; Human Rights chairperson Leila De Lima. Also invited were Rey Anthony Chua, chairman of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology; Director General Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police; lawyer Nestor Mantaring, director of National Bureau of Investigation; and Dr Cindy Dollente-Ang, president of the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography. The Senate investigation stemmed from the privilege speech of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr entitled “A Doctor’s Perversity" where he scored Kho for recording her sexual activities with the women without their consent and posting it on the Internet. Kho had already apologized to those affected by his collection of sex videos but maintained that he had nothing to do with its spread on the Internet. Halili, for her part, had refused to accept Kho's apology, saying that the celebrity doctor should suffer the consequences of his actions. The actress had also sought the revocation of Kho's medical license. - GMANews.TV