Magundayao Case: Seven Years of Living with Outbursts of Rage

It has now been a month and a half since the children were locked inside their mother’s home.

The million-dollar question: Given that Spanish laws are especially protective of family life, why does Regina Magundayao Valdez refuse to appear in the divorce proceedings initiated in Spain? What could be in that divorce petition that the abducting mother fears more than anything else?

Diario16 has gained access to a document that was sent to the Spanish Embassy in the Philippines and the authorities of the said country. It is a dossier that contains evidence—including numerous videos and testimonies—of the coercive situation the father and, by extension, the rest of the family, endured at the hands of Regina.

According to the evidence, the abducting mother experienced violent fits of rage from time to time, during which she physically attacked her husband, threw all kinds of objects at him, and completely lost control. She would become so out of control that she did not even notice she was being recorded. To provide a few examples: on one occasion, her daughters came home to find the dining room destroyed; on another, she violently grabbed young Gerard (one of the illegally abducted children) and locked herself in a room where the little boy was screaming because he was afraid of his mother at the time; and on a third occasion, she threw a playpen in front of the boy's sisters. 

Over seven years, these outbursts — and many others — occurred even in front of friends or acquaintances, and the family did not know how, or was unable to manage them. The constant underlying fear was that Regina might harm herself and then falsely accuse the father of abuse. As a result, an unspoken pact emerged in which everyone tried "not to make her angry" while the father sought a way to resolve the situation.

As sometimes happens in these cases, after the outbursts, she would cry, express regret, apologize, and become extremely kind, as if she were a different person after the attack. This would give the family a few months of peace, during which Regina was real sweetheart, until the next outburst occurred.

The First Call to the Regional Police

The couple dated for a year and a half, during which everything was perfect, until they married in June 2016.  A few months later, during an argument, the father was shocked to be physically attacked by his partner for the first time.  He called the police and jumped out the window to get to the neighbors' house. The patrol took twenty minutes to arrive but was able to take control of the situation.

This incident helped her understand that she couldn't just attack others in the family as if it were nothing; as a result, the outbursts disappeared for a few months.

However, Regina eventually returned to her old ways. She even assaulted her husband while he was sleeping, which led to an abnormal relationship where the daughters went to their father's house less frequently. When they did visit, it was a routine for them to ask upon entering, "How are things with Regina? Are you okay?"

Family spokesperson Laura Rodríguez Caro says she is certain that “They made every possible effort to address this aggression problem. At first, they tried to talk to her and redirect the situation, but over time, I think they all adapted to a reality that was beyond them. What nobody openly admitted was the fear of a false accusation from her.”

The relationship between Regina and her husband went through a peaceful period, interestingly, during the COVID pandemic and until their youngest child, Laia, turned one. For about a year and a half, the family believed the nightmare was over.

By mid-2021, however, their relationship deteriorated, and soon they began to talk more about divorce. There was no urgency - and from time to time, one of them would make an effort to save the marriage. Meanwhile, Regina traveled to the Philippines more frequently and for longer periods, which in part helped prevent conflicts. This eventually led to the couple living separate lives from 2023 onwards, with the plan of waiting for her to obtain Spanish nationality before getting a divorce.

Children Have Been Locked at Home for a Month and a Half

As of this writing, it has been a month and a half since Regina has kept the children confined to the house, without going to school and isolated from their neighbors. The Filipino social welfare agency (DSWD) and MSWDO are monitoring the case and have already visited her twice since June 23, the date the confinement began.

However, the DSWD's authority is limited. It is up to the Philippine courts to apply the Hague Convention and order the repatriation of the minors.

Rodríguez Caro explains that after the children were retained in the Philippines in September last year, the family conducted an in-depth investigation into what Regina had hidden about her aggressive behavior. They collected testimonies from neighbors, friends, and relatives, revealing numerous prior incidents — too many to ignore — of similar aggression throughout her youth, against schoolmates, neighbors, and even her own siblings.

"The Philippine authorities must understand that this is not a normal separation case. We have two children in the hands of a mother who could lose control at any moment. Action must be taken immediately. And what is clear is that this woman urgently needs psychological support," warns Rodríguez Caro.