Love is hard, and even more so if three people — and their children — are involved.
This was the situation that Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano tried to resolve in the Valentine’s Day episode of Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda (CIA with BA) which aired on February 12, 2023 on GMA 7.
The case revolved around an unemployed man who fathered children with two different women. He had been living with the first woman and their children when he had two children with the second, whom he apparently never intended to support financially.
The matter was not kept secret from the first woman and they continued living together. The second woman, however, accused the first woman of physically hurting her children whenever they stayed with the couple.
For Senator Alan, the first step in resolving the matter was for the man to accept responsibility and work hard to give his children a better life.
“Una, magsabi ka talaga kung sorry ka. Pangalawa, gagawa ka talaga ng hakbang sa pagbabago. Ikaw ang maghabol. Huwag kang tumigil na ipakita na sincere ka (First, you have to say you’re sorry. Second, you have to make amends to change. You make the first move. Show your sincerity),” he said.
He volunteered to help the man gain employable skills by taking a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) course.
“Humanap ka ng trabaho. Willing akong mag-scholarship ka sa TESDA para magkaroon ka ng skill (Look for a job. I’m willing to offer you a scholarship with TESDA so you’ll learn a skill),” he said.
Senator Pia, for her part, encouraged the second woman to empower herself financially so she would not need to rely on anyone to support her children.
“What I want is mabigyan ka ng lahat ng support to be a wonderful, great single mom. We will help you sa financial (aspect) at kung may gusto kang aralin (para) magkaroon ka ng skill (I want to give you the support to be a wonderful, great single mom. We will help you in the financial aspect and if you want to study to get a skill), she said.
“Tutulungan ka namin para maging magaling kang single mom sa dalawang anak. Tapos ipag-pray natin y’ung totoong prince charming naman na dadating sa buhay mo (We will help you become a great single mom to your two children. We then pray that your real prince charming will come into your life),” she added.
Turning to the man, Senator Pia acknowledged that being a better father “does not happen overnight” and urged him to receive spiritual counseling.
“Willing naman tayong tumulong. May simbahan ba sa inyo na pwedeng magbigay sayo ng counseling? Kami may mga pastor kaming kakilala. Kailangan maturuan ka (We are willing to help. Is there a church that you can go to for counseling? We have pastor friends who can teach you), she told him.
As to the physical injury sustained by the second woman’s children, Senator Alan said the law is on her side in case she would decide to file a case against the first woman.
“Kung batas lang ang pag-uusapan, deretso ka lang sa prosecutor’s office, sasabihin mo na ifa-file mo (ang kaso). Nandyan ang ebidensya (If it’s the law we’re talking about, you can go straight to the prosecutor’s office and say you will file a case. There is evidence),” he told her.
Addressing the first woman and the man, Senator Alan said: “Kung nasampal mo, klarong may kaso y’an. Y’ung sustento mo (the father), hindi kasong kriminal ‘yan pero may civil obligation ka talaga na magsustento (If you slapped him, there’s clearly a case. The support as a father is not a criminal case, but you have a civil obligation to give support).
In the end, the man heeded the advice of the two lawyer-senators and vowed to fulfill his responsibilities as father to his children with both women.
The outcome fulfilled the mission of the show to educate Filipinos on the law and how it affects their daily lives.
Turning both sentimental and realistic, Senator Pia said she still believes in love, but that it should bring out the best, not the worst, in people.
CIA with BA, which airs every Sunday on GMA 7 at 11:30 p.m. with replays on Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. on GTV, is a continuation of the legacy of the siblings’ father, the late Senator Rene Cayetano, whose radio and TV program “Compañero y Compañera” aired from 1997 to 2001. – NWI
