With a jobless, alcoholic, and abusive husband who also has a mistress, Karen (not her real name), now 39, had, for the longest time, felt very alone in her marriage as a battered wife. So, when a professional working in a government agency showed interest in her, Karen briefly allowed herself to feel noticed. But it was just a fleeting relationship; it was not at all serious. However, this made her husband furious, and he filed an adultery case against them. The man lost his job, and Karen was incarcerated. This happened in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearings were held online, and Karen could not find the courage to voice her defense.
Karen is hard-working and diligent, taking on as many jobs as she can handle. She works for her husband’s aunt during the day as a helper, and at night, she serves as a waitress at an eatery near their house. She juggles both jobs to ensure their children can go to school—a responsibility her husband, whom Karen describes as a mama’s boy, is somehow unable to fulfill.
She was initially detained at two different precincts for two months before being transferred to a city jail. During her confinement at both precincts, she witnessed police misconduct that she could hardly believe could be inflicted upon suspects. They were served boiled, cold sayote and potatoes infested with flies, which she found unbearable. She would have preferred to die of hunger rather than eat the food given to them. On one occasion, a suspected thief was brutally killed in front of them, only for the official report to later declare COVID as the cause of death. She prayed to God to take her rather than endure the harsh conditions at the precinct.
To survive, she offered massage services to wealthier female co-detainees, charging 150 pesos per session. She used her earnings to buy food from the police-run stores inside the precinct. Karen thanked the Lord when she was eventually transferred to a city jail, where treatment by jail guards was more humane and rehabilitative. During her four months of incarceration, she joined Bible reading and livelihood activities, sewing doormats and cleaning rags ("basahan") to sell to visitors and other markets. She sent everything she earned to her children to ensure they could continue their studies. Her firstborn was studying in the province and staying with her parents, while her youngest was under the care of her in-laws.
Karen expressed deep gratitude to Preso Inc. when representatives visited the jail and learned about her case. She was recommended by the jail officers for Preso Inc.’s Community Bail Bond, a special program that supports first-time offenders and poor but deserving inmates by facilitating their cases and covering their bail amounts to help secure early release. The jail guards were consistently amazed by Karen's industriousness, as she was always eager to help with tasks around the jail, supporting both staff and fellow inmates whenever needed.
After six months, Karen was eventually released on probation. She made sure that she reports diligently to her probation officer. In August 2024, she finally completed her probation and was officially declared free.
She was off to a good start, earning P1,500 per day—more than enough—when a friend referred her to the owner of condominium units in Taguig as a housekeeper for the owner’s Airbnb business. She managed to buy a small dwelling, and her firstborn child graduated from college. For almost two years, she was blessed with a good salary.
But then, her husband returned, courting her and making her believe that he would be a better husband this time. So, she had an ectopic pregnancy. But then he left her again, returning to his old ways. Karen finally realized that her husband was nothing but a menace to her. She decided to end her marriage with him and completely cut off all communication. Though the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, she also lost her job because she was hospitalized for a few days, and that her position was given to another woman with no issues in life like hers. Thankfully, her firstborn is now working in a BPO company, contributing to their upkeep.
Karen is strongly rising from this latest setback in her life, vowing to never enter into a harmful cycle of marriage again and to never repeat the mistakes that led to her incarceration. She is working part-time as a canteen server while awaiting an opportunity to work as a house helper for a cleaning service company, where she could earn P645 per day, with potential for more if she takes on overtime.
As she gazes at her uniform hanging on the wall of her house—a symbol of hope and new beginnings—Karen takes a deep breath, ready to embrace the future. She has broken free from her past and the harshness of her married life. Now, she moves forward with courage, a renewed spirit, and an unwavering determination to create a brighter tomorrow for herself and her children.
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If you would like to support the PRESO Foundation in providing financial assistance to deserving PDLs, please reach out to the Foundation at 0906-822-1625. Alternatively, you may contact Ms. Nita Silva Mangaser or Sol Baltazar through their Facebook page or Messenger.