Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and so said a proverb from the 17^th century.

And it could hold true to this day in this country, for two women, who have alleged to have suffered different forms of abuse in the hands of their high-ranking military-husbands, and are now on a quest to claim justice and vindication.

Military wives Tessa Luz Aura Sevilla and Gemini Baladad have both asked the Senate and House of Representatives to conduct a congressional inquiry into the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) tendency to “sweep under the rug” the plight of the battered wives of some generals and ranking officials of the military.

This came about after the Commission on Appointments (CA) bypassed the promotion of Sevilla’s husband Col. Ranulfo Sevilla to Brigadier General last March 19, 2024 after voicing her opposition for the alleged maltreatment and violence he inflicted on her and their children.

Mrs. Sevilla, also known more as Tessa, had also complained to the CA body about her husband being remiss in providing them financial support when he only gave them a paltry P2,000 a month. The CA has already compelled Sevilla to give his two minor children P50,000 as monthly financial support. But despite the embattled officiall’s promise to comply with this agreement, Tessa stood firm on her decision not to back out from submitting her complaints before the powerful appointments body.

“Kasi po it goes beyond the issue of support. Yes, I’m all for him settling the obligations that he has not given to my children and to me and the entire family for the last seven years. But that doesn’t make him an honorable man overnight na deserving of a promotion,” Tessa told reporters in an interview at the sidelines of the CA hearing.

“Kasi we’re also talking about issues of immorality, issues of abuses. So this goes beyond money. No amount of money will make me back down. And that is my stand, yung hustisya…at vindication ng mga anak ko, ng pamilya ko, at syempre ako bilang asawa na masyadong niyang inalipusta, kinawawa sa social media (the justice, the vindication for my children, my family and me as the wife that he severely insulted, shamed on social media),” Tessa added.

But what hurt her the most, according to Tessa, was the apparent reluctance of the AFP leadership to look into her case, especially after Col. Margareth Padilla Taborlupa told reporters that the AFP will still have to look into the veracity of her statement despite the fact that her husband’s mistress has already been seen in various occasions together with her husband in special events of the AFP.

“Huwag naman po naman natin pagtakpan kasi 2021 pa lang nandiyan na yung babae. Ang dami na pong footages, pati events (ng AFP) na andun po yung babae. Kaya ‘wag na po natin pagtakpan ma’am (Let’s not cover up the issue because since 2021, the mistress has been there. There have been so many footages, including events in the AFP where the other woman is there. That’s why, let’s not cover it up),” she said.

“Especially to Gen. (Romeo) Brawner (Jr.), huwag naman ho natin hayaan na magpatuloy. Hindi lang naman po ako yung wife na ganito; marami pa pong iba…mga wives na inaabuso ng kanilang mga asawa na military. Huwag na ho nating hayaan na magpatuloy pa kasi po masisira po ang institution (Let’s not allow this culture to continue. I’m not the only wife in this state, there are other wives who are abused by their husband who is a military official. Let’s not allow this to continue because it will damage the institution),” Tessa appealed.

After her disclosure at the CA, Tessa said many other military wives have also reached out to her, but feared possible retaliation. According to Tessa, some of these abused wives feared losing the financial support they were already getting if they join her cause.

“So palagi andun yung pangamba, yung takot kapag ikaw ay nagsalita laban sa asawa mo ay nagsasalita ka na rin lang laban sa buong AFP (So there is that fear, the fear that if you speak out against your husband, you are also speaking out against the whole AFP),” Tessa said.

“Kasi ganun po yung naging trato sa amin eh. Pag nagsalita kami, pag nag reklamo kami, ang dating kalaban na kami ng buong AFP. Dahil ika nga ng ibang mga tao sa loob, Tessa, don't rock the boat (Because that’s how we are treated. That once we speak up, if we complain, they see regard it as if we are fighting the whole AFP. As those people inside would tell me, Tessa, don’t rock the boat),” she also explained.

“Syempre, it’s an open secret, even women—both men and women—nagkakaroon talaga sila ng mga relasyon within (the camp). So sana po, let’s stop sweeping these problems under the rug,” she further said.

Mental anguish

Gemini Baladad, ex-wife of a retired three-star general, said that when she saw on TV how Tessa fought for her and her children’s rights, she was able to muster the courage to support her, and decided to also bare the cases of abuse that are not foreign among spouses of military officials in the country.

According to Gemini, she filed a case of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) against her then husband in the military in the 2007. But this was just played down within the military organization as she was just passed around different offices.

“Because we were living in a camp before, they took me out; they evicted us,” Gemini tearfully recalled.

“Because I was not just a battered wife. He annulled our marriage in Mindanao without my consent and my knowledge and it was granted, it was nullified. So ang nareceive ko na lang (what I just received) is finality (final decision). And then I asked for the copy of the transcript, they cannot give kasi nasunog na daw (it was burned during a fire),” she narrated.

“And then, I wrote several agencies, even the CHR (Commission on Human Rights), and they have already done their investigation and they saw there was really a crime that really occurred,” she pointed out.

Just recently, Gemini said she filed another criminal complaint against her ex-husband. An arrest warrant was issued against him, but no hearing was conducted and the case was eventually dismissed.

“So you know, it’s been 17 years that I’ve been fighting for justice. Pero when he was still in the AFP, I was not given any kind of protection, support, or what. They would say that they were calling us for investigation but they would not call me during the hearing. Tapos there was one hearing na receive ko moot and academic. Sa phone ko pa narinig,” an emotional Gemini recalled.

“I’m just coming out to show that there’s so many wives really suffering, but then it’s not being addressed.. were not afforded the right justice. I do not get any sympathy or support, I don't get any protection and you know the trauma,” she pointed out.

“You know, it was very difficult for me and our son. So right now, I still go about the bouts of trauma. But he’s still scot-free, di siya na co-convict, and I’m still hoping that sana ma-improve yung system para di pag daanan ng ibang wives yung pinag daanan namin (I hope that the system inside would improve so that the other wives would not go through what we went through),” she said.

“I was given the run around. Despite the evidences, very verifiable evidences that I have, walang nangyari (nothing happened),” she said recalling the process she went through when she filed the complaint before the AFP.

Unsung heroes of the soldiers

Gemini said she can only hope that the AFP leadership would take a serious look at the current issues hounding military wives, noting that the unsung heroes of the soldiers are in fact, their wives.

“Kasi karga niya lahat ng bigat ng responsibilidad, kasi busy ang asawa niya (Because the wife carries the heaviest responsibility, because their husbands are busy) serving the country,” she said.

“When I was a military wife, ang hirap lalo nung di pa maayos ang sweldo nila (especially when their pay was still unstable). You know ang liit-liit ng sweldo niya (their salary is meager) so we have to augment our income,” she pointed out.

And yet, Gemini said she experienced abuse, and her words were even manipulated to turn her own case against her. “He presented me with many stories that made me like a liar. Fabricating things that they can easily verify. They even wrote I had a sexual relationship with my employer.”

“I’ve had three miscarriages because of the stress that I went through. But these are not acknowledged. I have a death certificate that he was the one who signed,” she recalled.

“I could not get support from the military system, the institution—I could not get the protection. I would call the mistah, they would say it’s a domestic affair. Nagmamakaawa ka (You will be begging). It’s so difficult to be displaced, and yet, you know, inaasassinate yung character mo (they resort to character assassination),” she pointed out.

Up until now, she still feels depressed due to the inability to achieve justice, especially even after her ex-husband resorted to name-calling and produced a certificate stating she is diagnosed with a narcissistic disorder. “Wala naman akong nakausap na psychologist (I haven’t been checked by a psychologist),” she lamented.

In calling for a full-blown investigation by Congress and the AFP, Gemini reiterated that her and Tessa’s appeal was only for the AFP to finally ensure the protection and well-being of military spouses and children, citing the need for moral and spiritual fitness of military officers.

“This is not really to tarnish the institution, it is really to create awareness that something must be done, something must be corrected, so we can have a safer place,” Gemini said.

AFP is maturing

But for Col. Padilla-Taborlupa, the AFP is now maturing in terms of gender and development.

“Noong mga previous may mga ganyang cases (There have been previous cases) but now we really take it seriously. Especially po marami na ring pong (now there are many more) women that are commanding certain units,” Taborlupa said, saying she herself feels the cases as a wife and a mother.

“We’re cascading all our laws, batas talaga ng Pilipinas (all Philippine laws), going down to our lowest units.

According to Padilla, the AFP leadership has vowed to really act on certain complaints and instances as soon as possible this time before the case eventually reaches the Commission on Appointments.

“So rest assured that the AFP will look into these cases, and will check on the veracity of these reports kung talagang hindi sya na aksyunan (if there were really no actions regarding these complaints),” she said.