2 Cebu teachers sue their spouses for abuse

CEBU, Philippines - Two teachers separately charged their husbands for violence against women before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Gandhi Truya has elevated both the cases filed against Norman Totoy and Michael Alden Ebao for abusing their respective wives.

A bail of P80,000 and P12,000 were recommended for Totoy and Ebao’s temporary liberty, respectively.

In the first case, Totoy’s wife said on March 24, 2010, he tightly gripped her hand and pushed her while uttering bad words against her saying, “I’ll break your head, you’re a dull teacher.”

The couple has been living together for 10 years but he allegedly never gave financial support to their family.

In the counter-affidavit of Totoy, he denied that he never gave financial assistance claiming she even took custody of his ATM card with LBP, GSIS and E card.

Totoy admitted that he accidentally pushed his wife in the midst of an argument as she was suspicious that he had affair with an officemate.

However, Truya said based on the statement of Totoy “the undersigned inclined to believe that all the other alleged utterances by the respondents are true and correct and that there was threat to cause harm in her.”

Truya cited jurisprudence under Section 5 of RA 9262 that violence against women is committed by causing, threatening or attempting to cause physical harm to the woman.

Meanwhile, Truya likewise elevated the case against Ebao for violence against women after the latter failed to submit his counter-affidavit on the accusations of his wife against him.

Truya said he sent the subpoena to Ebao but the latter failed to submit any which he said is “the basis in resolving the complaint was based on complainants’ evidence.”

According to the complainant, her husband threatened her through text message that he will withdraw the financial support he is giving to her and their children.

The complainant said she even saw in the digital camera that her two children were playing with their sexual organ and when confronted them, they said they saw it in the internet watched by their father.

She said she suffered psychological trauma which was supported by an initial assessment report by psychologist Rosemarie Gonato, from the Women and Children Friendly Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. —(FREEMAN)