Accused by her own daughter of abusing a nine-year-old half-sibling, Marlene (not her real name) couldn’t believe the charges. Despite denying her daughter's accusations, she and her live-in partner found themselves in jail, facing additional accusations of adultery. Marlene, 48, couldn’t fathom the depth of her daughter Kate’s resentment, though she understood the reason. In 2003, Marlene left Kate, born out of wedlock, with her grandparents in Cebu. Kate was only seven years old. Marlene met a new man who later became her husband, and after having two more children, her husband decided to relocate their family to Bukidnon for a better life, leaving Kate behind. Despite Marlene’s protests, her husband refused to bring Kate with them.
Moreover, Marlene’s parents had specifically asked her to leave Kate with them, promising a safer, better life. Despite her vehement disapproval, Marlene felt helpless and reassured herself that her parents would provide better care for Kate. Her parents didn’t trust her husband, and it turned out they were right. In Bukidnon, life was tougher than Marlene expected. They went on to have five more children together making it seven in total. She tried to make money by selling fresh produce from the fields. At one point, through her hard work, Marlene was able to send her children to school and buy them the food they wanted, but her husband’s bad behavior kept dragging the family down. Marlene worked hard to support a husband who had sporadic construction work, had vices, and caused trouble. They had to move around a lot because he was always in trouble and was once almost killed. Her children struggled to finish school on time because of their father’s behavior.
Marlene got caught up in the problems of her marriage and poverty, and she forgot about Kate, the daughter she left behind. She admits she only wrote to Kate through her grandparents twice in all those years because life was so hard in Bukidnon, and she couldn’t afford a cellphone to keep in touch.
In 2017, after more than 15 years in an unhappy marriage, Marlene finally found the courage to leave—with a new man, the third man in her life. That’s when Kate showed her deep resentment by conspiring with Marlene’s second husband. They fabricated stories to paint Marlene and her new man as irresponsible guardians and evil people.
Marlene endured all accusations, hoping her daughter would come to understand. During this challenging period, PRESO Inc. intervened, facilitating Marlene and her partner's release from jail.
The adultery case was subsequently dismissed, with PRESO Inc.'s Community Bail Bond Program securing their temporary freedom in August 2023, five months after their admission to Cagayan de Oro Jail. The verdict on the child abuse case has been placed under provisional dismissal by the court, which typically becomes permanent after two years. However, as ruled by the court, she and her partner are currently prohibited from seeing the children in person while this ruling remains in effect. Marlene is now working as a clerk in a gravel and sand business while her partner is in construction handling heavy equipment. Marlene claims that she is in a better relationship now, and her partner is considerate of her children. Marlene’s children are with her former husband, and his current partner is willing to support them and shoulder their needs. As for Kate, Marlene is letting her express her deep resentment, enduring all her hurtful words, hoping that one day, she will understand why she left her with her grandparents. Kate is a graduate and works overseas in an Information Technology company. She will soon come home for her wedding. Marlene knew in her heart she had done the right thing. Once the dust settles, she yearns for a heartfelt conversation with Kate, hoping to mend their relationship. Marlene's deepest desire is to reconcile with her daughter and foster a newfound understanding between them. She hopes that Kate's heart will heal from the prolonged separation, allowing them to start anew.
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