Michelle Lhor Bana-ag shed tears Tuesday while narrating to Raffy Tulfo what wasn’t seen in a video that went viral recently showing her heated confrontation with her live-in partner, GMA 7 artist comedian Romeo “Tekla” Librada.
According to Bana-ag, the complainant, there were multiple occasions wherein Tekla, the accused, forced her to enter into sexual intercourse despite her refusal. Additionally, she also alleges that the accused, aside from touching her “private parts,” even masturbated in front of her sometimes.
When Tulfo asked for the reason why she refuses most of the time to submit to Tekla’s sexual demands, Bana-ag emotionally stressed: “Masama po yung pakiramdam ko. Halos kada hapon po nilalagnat po ako, sumasama po pakiramdam ko. Ang bigat po ng ulo ko. Hindi nya po maintindihan. Hindi nya po marespeto yung ganung ano ko po… kasi inenjectionan po ako ng family planning… kasi po hindi po nya mapigilan yung sarili nya. Gusto nya po akong galawin.”
Explaining what happens whenever she’s saying no to Tekla, Bana-ag said: “Ano po mumurahin nya po ako tapos ano di na po sya kikibo. Hindi na po sya bibili ng pagkain kahit naguguton na yung mga pamangkin ko na nandito… nag-iiyakan po yung mga bata, nagugutom na. Nagmamakaawa po ako sa kanya bumili na sya ng pagkain. Ganon po yung ginagawa nya. Aalis po sya. Pupunta po sya kung kani-kanino. Magba-vlog po sila o kaya magla-live-live. Ni piso po wala po kaming pagkain dito.”
“Hindi po sya nag-aalaga ng anak namin. Simula po paggising nila inatupag nya lang po pagba-vlog,” she added.
However, Bana-ag’s accusations against the Kapuso comedian didn’t end there. She reiterated that, in some instances, when she begged for money to purchase food for them, her sister, and the children in their household, Tekla would then say, “Oh gusto mo pambili ng pagkain? Oh sige tara muna,” insinuating Bana-ag to have sex with him. She further added that the accused would sometimes demand the children to get out of their rooms, saying, “Oh labas muna kayo doon saglit lang.”
“Minsan po isang beses po nung last week lang. Katabi ko po yung pamangkin ko nanonood po sa cellphone na hawak ko. Nagtakip lang po sya ng kumot. Wala po akong magawa eh. Kailangan pong magpadala sa mga pamangkin ko kahit po masama pakiramdam ko,” said an emotional Bana-ag, who also revealed that Tekla has a habit of peeking into her nephews’ private parts, claiming it’s just a “joke.”
“May time po na hawak po yung anak ko, pinapadede ko po yung anak ko, dumikit po sya sakin tapos hinawakan po yung maselang parte ng katawan ko. Tapos hinayaan ko na lang po sya hanggang sa nagmasterbate na na naman po sya, yung mukha ko saka po yung anak ko na 4 months old natalsikan.”
Meanwhile, seeking legal advice, Tulfo asked Atty. Garreth Tungol on what are the possible criminal charges Bana-ag could file against the accused.
Tungol said: “Napakalinaw po ng kaso dito noh. I would like to first quote yung Supreme Court natin noh in the case of People of the Philippines vs. Edgar Jumawan, na walang property rights ang husbands over the body of their wives. Hindi po basta kasal sila lahat gusto nilang gawin sa katawan ng kanilang asawa pwede nilang gawin. Kailangan po nila respetuhin yung right nung babae to refuse sexual relations kapag ka may sakit or kapag ka ayaw lang ng babae. In that manner, Sir Raffy, under our Violence against women and children law, itong pagpwepwersa mo sa kanya ng sexual advances at wini-withhold mo yung pera without the sexual advances pwede yan mapasok sa sexual violence under RA 9262. Worse still, kapag nag-succeed po itong si Tekla in having sex against the will ng ating complainant ngayon, pwede po syang ma-consider natin as marital rape, Sir Raffy.”
When asked what might be filed against Tekla on his habits of masturbating in front of the minors in their household and worse, set off drops of seminal fluid unto their skin, Tungol said: “Unang-una magiging dalawang crime kasi ito eh, pagma-masturbate nya at patatamain nya ang kanyang likido sa katawan ng babae. Yun palang sir is acts of lasciviousness, kasi kabastusan yun, just short of rape, dahil walang penetration. Second, yung kanyang ginagawa yon naman sa bata that’s clearly sexual abuse under RA 7610 or young “child abuse law” natin, dahil c’mon… binaboy mo yung dignidad ng bata. Bakit mo sya isa-subject sa ganong treatment. Binaboy yung pagkatao ng bata.”
If Bana-ag’s accusations were proven correct, Tekla might be jailed for child abuse, marital rape, and sexual violence towards his live-in partner and the minors in their household.