Another woman speaks up about ‘abuse’ by military husband

MANILA, Philippines — A “battered wife” of a former high-ranking Army general came out on Tuesday, claiming cases of abuse are not foreign among spouses of military officials in the country.

Gemini Baladad said in a press conference that she and her children were subjected to abuse by her ex-husband – a retired three-star general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“I was also a battered wife. [In] 2007 I filed a Violence Against Women and Children case against him [in the] military, but I was passed around to different offices. Because we were living in the camp before, they took me out; they evicted us,” she said.

“He annulled our marriage without my consent,” she added.

Baladad’s testimony followed Tessa Luz Reyes-Sevilla’s opposition to the promotion of her husband, Ranulfo Sevilla, to Brigadier General before the Commission on Appointments.

Both women claimed to have suffered “almost the same fate” at the hands of their “abusive military husbands.” Both also expressed their utter disappointment with the alleged non-action of the AFP regarding their plight.

Baladad: AFP paid no attention

“I’ve had three miscarriages because of stress. [In his stories,] these are not real. But I have the death certificate of one of my children that he signed,” said Baladad.

“I’m just giving the extent of the pain that I went through kasi hindi pinansin ng AFP at hindi ako binigyan nang tamang suporta at proteksyon (because the AFP ignored me and did not give me proper support and protection),” she also said.

Baladad was not at the Senate to block anyone’s promotion as her husband already retired from military service. However, she said she only came out to prove that there are many military wives being subjected to abuse by their husbands.

“I’m just coming out to show that there [are] so many wives really suffering. But then, we’re not accorded right justice. We were only called in the office to hear our complaints, but there’s really no action… like any sympathy, any support, any protection,” she explained.

“The trauma – it was very difficult for me and my son. Right now I still go through the bouts of trauma and he’s still scott-free. He wasn’t convicted and you know, I’m still hoping that the system will be improved so that other military wives will not go through the things we suffered at,” she also emphasized in a mix of English and Filipino..

More military wives suffering

In the same press conference, Reyes-Sevilla disclosed that many military wives reached out to her after she revealed her ordeal to the public last week.

“Privately, marami po ang nagme-message sa akin na wives po (many wives are messaging me). But again, there’s the fear of retaliation,” she said.

“Lagi pong nandoon ‘yung pangamba, ‘yung takot na kapag ikaw ay nagsalita laban sa kasama mo ay nagsasalita ka na rin laban sa AFP,” she added.

(There is always the fear, the fear that when you speak against your partner, you are also speaking against the AFP.)

According to Reyes-Sevilla, someone from AFP even told her to just remain silent and refrain from causing trouble.

“Ika nga ng ibang tao sa loob: Tessa, don’t rock the boat. Gusto mo bang masira ang institusyon? Ang kasiraan ng institusyon ay kasiraan din ng pamilya mo. Tahimik ka na lang,” she testified.

(Someone else inside said: Tessa, don’t rock the boat. Do you want to destroy the institution? The corruption of the institution is also the corruption of your family. Just be quiet.)