Santos' wife guilty of acid-throwing, strafing

DAVAO CITY - The wife of former Interior and Local Government Secretary Luis Santos was found guilty of splashing acid on the face of his secretary and strafing her house in 1996, among other criminal charges.

Santos' wife Gilda, convicted of charges of slight physical injuries, qualified trespass to dwelling, grave threats and grave slander, committed the acts on suspicion that the secretary, Mildred Silvila, was having an illicit affair with her husband.

Santos served under the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.

His wife, who belongs to the Lademora clan of Agusan, was not around when Municipal Trial Court in Cities Judge Antonina Escovilla handed down the sentence on her the other day. She was represented by two of her lawyers.

The cases stemmed from two incidents in 1996. On Sept. 29 that year, Gilda summoned Silvila to the Santos residence and grilled her about the alleged illicit affair, later splashing acid on her face.

Not satisfied with the acid-throwing, Gilda, along with three accomplices, strafed Silvila's house at Catotal Subdivision two days later.

Escovilla sentenced Gilda to 21 days in jail and ordered her to pay Silvila P587.16 for the case of slight physical injuries.

For grave slander and grave threats, she was sentenced to a total of two years and fined P500.

For all three cases, she was ordered to pay Silvila P50,000 in moral damages.

For qualified trespass to dwelling, arising from the assault on Silvila's house, Gilda and her accomplices were meted a jail term of three years, six months and 21 days to four years and told to pay P30,000 in damages.

The judge also ordered Gilda to pay Silvila P15,000 in attorney's fees.

Gilda is reportedly facing charges of malicious mischief, robbery and illegal possession of firearms with two other local courts.