One of the things people learn about marriage is that it’s more of a journey than a destination. Unfortunately, some unions encounter bumps that may seem too big to surmount.
This was the dilemma that Senators Alan Peter “Compañero” Cayetano and Pia Cayetano had to navigate in the June 11, 2023 episode of “Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda” on GMA 7.
The main characters who squared off during the “Case 2 Face” segment were a married couple whose relationship was in dire straits due to extreme jealousy.
Gina wanted to be separated from her husband because of his mistreatment after he suffered a stroke. She said he told their neighbors that she was having affairs with other men, when what she was doing was working as a massage therapist and caretaker for an elderly man.
Gina said her husband’s jealous streaks have also resulted in physical harm. She was even stripped naked in public due to his extreme jealousy.
Her husband Albert explained that his source of jealousy was the fact that she had cheated on him early in their relationship. He also said his relatives had told him to leave her, but he refused to do so for the sake of their marriage and their children.
Albert also claimed that Gina repeatedly called her derogatory names such as “useless” even though he was helping by doing the household chores.
Senator Alan began by telling both that they have the right to separate, and that it is well within Gina’s rights to ask for a legal separation if she’s unhappy with their marriage.
“Kung hindi ka willing maging patient, sasabihin ko sa iyo ang batas. Wala sa batas na pinipilit y’ung isa makisama sa isa. Meron sa batas kung ano ang obligasyon niyong dalawa. Pero nasa grounds ng batas na mag-file siya o pareho kayo ng legal separation,” he told Albert.
Senator Pia empathized with Gina, saying the abuse she suffered from Albert was unbelievable.
“As a female, as a woman lawyer, you cannot justify hurting and humiliating a woman like that,” she said.
Senator Alan also told Albert to learn to recognize his own shortcomings in their marriage.
“Ang problema, tuwing magsasabi ka ng, ‘Oo, mali ako,’ binabalik mo sa mali niya. Hindi mo ba pwedeng tanggapin na kung may mali man siya, hindi y’on ang pinag-uusapan. Ang pinag-uusapan, mali mo. Kasi kung ipagpipilitan mong mali niya, walang mangyayari,” he said.
After getting a verbal commitment from Albert that he would do everything to change, Gina was ready to forgive him and give him a second chance. Senator Alan provided her with a new phone and mobile load to give daily updates on Albert’s attitude.
The CIA with BA team also took Albert to a private clinic where he got prescriptions and recommended actions to speed up his recovery.
Senator Alan also mentioned that the couple should think about their children before making further actions moving forward.
“Alang-alang sa inyong mga anak, huwag na tayong magsasalita ng masasakit laban sa isa. Kasi y’ong trauma, nandoon iyon eh,” he said.
“Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda” follows in the footsteps of “Compañero Y Compañera,” the TV and radio show hosted by the late Senator Rene “Compañero” Cayetano, the sibling senators’ father. It airs on Sundays, 11:30 PM at GMA 7, while replays are broadcast at GTV every 10:30 PM on Saturdays.
