Filipino actor Miko Gallardo opens up about past rape, alleged blackmail
BL (boy love) actor Miko Gallardo has opened up about being raped, blackmailed, which he said has been going on for 10 years.
In an eight-minute video statement on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, June 10, Gallardo — addressing himself as Dwayne — pleaded for his 'freedom' while claiming that he was a victim of blackmail and extortion 'for a whole decade of [his] life,' underscoring that he wanted the alleged abuse toward him to end.
'For the past 10 years — a whole decade of my life — I have been blackmailed and extorted, and I just want it to end. I'm sending this message out to the person, you know who you are, I will not be dropping any names. I just want this to go and end smoothly with peace,' he said.
'Let me go. I want my freedom. I will be talking in English for everybody to understand. I will be as straightforward as possible. I am begging — I am not asking — I am begging for things to end. I want it to end. I want my freedom. Ten years of this blackmail, threats, and extortion, I am done. I will do whatever you want me to do for things to end,' he continued.
The actor said he is willing to 'end [his] relationship' and settle things through financial means just to achieve his desired freedom, as he stressed that he is already 'done and tired' of what he had been through.
'You want me to end my relationship? I will do it. You want me to pay you back? I will do it. You want whatever, whatever your reason is, whatever your wants are, I will, I will give it. I will do it.
'All I'm asking in return is my freedom and my peace. So I can go about my days and my life without having to worry anymore. I am tired. I'm exhausted. I want to go home. I miss my grandma. Whatever your reasons are for doing this, I'm sorry. But please, I beg you. Please, let me go. Let me have my freedom,' he said.
To explain where he was coming from, Gallardo alleged that he was raped by 'two people whom [he] trusted as older sisters' when he was eight years old, and was 'almost raped by older men' around the same age.
'The only reason why they didn't go through with it was because they almost got caught. But I did not speak up. I was a scared little boy who never talked. But this time, I'll say it all. I don't care. I don't give a (expletive) anymore,' he added.
'At 10 years old, all the way up around 16, 17 — I don't even remember anymore — I had a sexual relationship with an older woman — who was way older. Growing up, that really (expletive) up my mind. Filled my head with anger, lust, and bad choices. And that's the reason maybe why I'm here,' he further added.
The actor also revealed that he was 'sexually assaulted' by unnamed individuals in the entertainment industry, while seemingly addressing a certain individual as 'Filipino P,' an apparent play on music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs' name.
To note, Combs has been on trial for charges of sex trafficking and alleged racketeering.
'When my career started, I got people sexually assaulting me in this industry, in the acting industry. Yeah, Filipino P* did try to get me many, many times. But I never spoke up. They told me to shut up and take it in and just focus on my career. And that messed me up big time. Led me to bad decisions, bad choices, substance abuse, alcohol, you name it,' said Gallardo.
'They never got hold of me because I always try to find a way to reason out or run away. I was never able to fight back. Because if you do, you know what happens when you fight back in this industry. You know what happens. They bury you. I don't want to be buried. Life is about survival. And right now, I am trying to survive,' he further added.
Appeal for survival
To end his statement, Gallardo said he is 'begging' to be free from the unnamed individual who allegedly 'has control over' his life.
'I'm here now, though. I'm still alive, I'm still kicking, begging for my life back from that person who has control over me right now. You know what I've been through,' he said. 'You know the sh*t that I had to crawl my ass out of. So let's make a deal. Let's end things peacefully. Give me a chance to live again. But if you give me no choice and just tell me to end my life while you laugh about it or celebrate over it, you tell me I deserve it, then you leave me no choice.'
The actor also declared that he is the only person who can end the alleged abuse, while reiterating the aforementioned deal to 'end things peacefully.'
'Who gives a sh*t, right? The world keeps spinning anyways. But let me make a deal. I wanna live. I want freedom. If you still have any humanity and sympathy left in you, let me go. Yeah, maybe I can only blame myself for being in this situation, for trusting you. So only I can end it,' he said.
Talks of Gallardo's alleged abuse began last June 4 after he made a cryptic post about seemingly wanting to end his life in a now-expired Instagram Story.
The actor is best known for his lead role in BL (boys' love) projects such as My Day and Our Story. He also made an appearance on the noontime show It's Showtime as a contestant of its Bidaman segment.
Inquirer.net has reached out to Gallardo for further comment about his video statement but has yet to respond, as of this writing.
Meanwhile, Gallardo's agency, Oxin Entertainment, said it has been coordinating with the 'appropriate authorities' to ensure Gallardo's mental well-being, moments after the actor alleged that he was a victim of sexual harassment, blackmail and extortion for quite some time.
Miko Gallardo 'actively working' with agency after dropping abuse claims. Images: Screengrabs from YouTube/ochomiko
Miko Gallardo is 'actively working' with his agency after dropping abuse claims. Images: Screengrabs from YouTube/ochomiko
Miko Gallardo's agency, Oxin Entertainment, said it has been coordinating with the 'appropriate authorities' to ensure Gallardo's mental well-being, moments after the actor alleged that he was a victim of sexual harassment, blackmail and extortion for quite some time.
In a statement on its Facebook page, Oxin said Gallardo was a victim of a 'certain individual ' and that it ha been reaching out to the proper authorities.
'It has come to our attention that Miko Gallardo recently shared a video on YouTube detailing years of suffering from alleged harassment, sexual abuse, extortion, and blackmail at the hands of a certain individual,' it said.
'Mr Gallardo has reached out to us for assistance, and we are actively working to coordinate with him regarding these very serious concerns, which are significantly impacting his mental health and overall well-being,' it continued.
Oxin assured Gallardo's safety and said the matter would be handled with 'utmost seriousness.'
'We want to assure everyone that we are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness and will be coordinating closely with the appropriate authorities to address these allegations. We appreciate your understanding and concern during this sensitive time,' it said. – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
Those contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 / 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 / 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim's family, social and community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); or Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929 /email sam@befrienders.org.my/befriender centres in malaysia).
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