Women power for Melissa Martel

When Melissa Mercado Martel lay critically wounded in a Makati hospital after a bullet narrowly missed her heart in August 2003, little did she think that the most influential women of the land would one day rally to her cause.

Yesterday, almost a year to the day after the shooting, Melissa sat teary eyed as a powerhouse group of women led by Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and Gina de Venecia, the wife of Speaker Jose de Venecia, expressed outrage at what they believed was an injustice done to Melissa.

Last Aug. 11, Makati prosecutor Roberto Lao dismissed a complaint for frustrated parricide Melissa filed againt her husband Robert "Roby" Puyat Martel. Melissa has appealed the decision before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Other women who attended the meeting in the De Venecia residence in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City were former Commission on Elections chairwoman Harriet Demetriou, former tourism secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta, socialites and cause oriented women like Louie Barcelon Locsin, Lizzie Zobel de Ayala, Bettina Lopez Osmeña, Frannie Aguinaldo Jacinto, Marit Yuchengco, Marissa Orosa Concepcion, former ambassador to Spain Isabel Caro Wilson and Sister Pilar Emmanuel of the Assumption Convent, Melissa’s alma mater.

"Melissa will be our inspiration for women across the nation who want to stand up for their rights," said Soliman, who announced that she will be leading a "Melissa watch" to monitor the progress of the parricide case.

"I have always believed in taking up the cudgels for abused and battered woman," said Gina de Venecia, the founder of the Haven, a chain of homes for abused women around the country.

"If someone like Melissa cannot get justice, then how much more the other women who have no recourse for their grievances?" asked Melissa’s lawyer Tunting Cruz Matters. "Women should express outrage."

"I am never afraid to show my support when I believe my cause is right," Zoel, for her part, said.

According to an executive summary released to media by Melissa’s lawyers, Roby Martel "deliberately and with intent to kill, severely beat and fatally shot" Melissa in their conjugal home on Aug. 26, 2003.

She was rushed to the Makati Medical Center and was confined in the intensive care unit for more than three weeks. On Dec. 3, 2003, she was discharged after spending more than three monts in the hospital.

Melissa filed a complaint for frustrated parricide against Roby on April 5 this year before the Office of thr City Prosecutor of Makati City.

On May 4, Roby filed a complaint for robbery against Melissa and her lawyer Howard Calleja. The robbery allegedly took place on Jan. 13, 2004 in their abandoned conjugal home at the Ritz Towers. According to Melssa’s lawyers, however, they took only "her personal belongings."

On July 1, 2004, then Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez issued an order designating Senior State Prosecutor Roberto Lao as acting city prosecutor of Makati to conduct the premiminary investigation of the complaint for frustrated parricide.

On Aug. 11, Lao issiued a resolution recommneding the dismissal of the complaint based on the affidavits of the security guards and on the affidavit of desistance signed by Melssa.

On Aug. 24, Melissa filed her appeal with the DOJ. The complaint for frustrated parricde againt Roby is now under a petition for review.

The compaint for robbery against Melissa filed by Roby is pending resolution with assistant prosecutor Ronald Moreno.

Melissa’s lawyers believe the decision of Lao "should be reversed and set aside for being manifestly unjust and patently erroneous."

Yesterday, Melissa saw for hersel that she was not alone in her struggle and that many women were willing to go public in their support of her.

Asked how she wanted the case to end, Melissa simply said, "I want Roby to go to jail."