Koko’s wife seeks annulment of marriage

MANILA, Philippines - Former beauty queen Jewel May Lobaton, estranged wife of Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, on Wednesday asked the Quezon City court to annul their marriage.

Lobaton, through her lawyer Salvador Panelo, cited Pimentel’s alleged psychological incapacity as grounds for the annulment.

The petitioner cited a provision of the Family Code which states that “a marriage contracted by any party who, at the time of the celebration, was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations of marriage, shall likewise be void and even if such incapacity becomes manifest only after its solemnization.”

The petition was raffled to family court Judge Jose Bautista of Branch 101.

In an ABS-CBN News report, Lobaton said it took her a while to decide on the legal step, as she wanted to give their marriage a second chance.

In the petition, she cited instances when the senator allegedly abused her. She alleged that he always found fault in everything she did and made her feel humiliated or embarrassed.

“In their 12-year marriage, Koko never uttered the words ‘I love you’ to Jewel or even to say ‘thank you’ for something she had done for him,” the petition said.

Lobaton said there were instances when the senator would allegedly curse her and repeatedly diminish her “self-respect and self-esteem.”

She claimed she was financially oppressed, and she suffered mental torture at the hands of the senator.

“The disabling features of indifference or apathy, irresponsibility or undependability, and immature and infantile behavior of respondent Koko are external acts and behavior of a person afflicted with psychological incapacity,” the petition said.

Pimentel has yet to comment on the allegations of his estranged wife.

In the ABS-CBN report, Panelo said they would ask the court to issue a temporary protection order against Pimentel.

Earlier, Lobaton said she might file charges of psychological and economic abuse against her husband. A case has yet to be filed before the city prosecutor’s office.