HUMAN TRAFFICKING/JAN. 26, 2017 NBI7 presscon after the arrest of Liezyl Margallo in a beach resort in Malapascua Island (l-r) Atty. Janette francisco – head investegator; Patricio S. Bernales – NBI7 Regional director and assistant regional director Atty. Dominador Cimafranca. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
‘PERVERTED BEHAVIOR’
What could have driven 23-year-old Liezyl Margallo to sexually abuse and torture children?
Maryjun Delgado, a veteran psychologist in Cebu, said painful experiences in the past usually triggers distorted behaviors among people.
“I wonder what kind of family does she (Margallo) have? Why was there so much anger towards children?,” she said.
Delgado believed Margallo had a rough past and that she wanted to let other children experience what she went through.
“Her behavior is perverted. She wants to hurt kids to appease her experiences,” she said. “She wants to feel how it is to be an abuser, and she enjoys what she’s doing. And yes, she is not afraid to kill,” she explained.
“The children she abused reminded her of how weak she was when she too was maltreated. Now, she thinks she’s very powerful when it was her turn to hurt the kids,” she added.
Delgado admitted she was disturbed and saddened by Margallo’s actions as reported in the newspaper.
“Partly, she’s to be blamed for it. But partly also, we could not blame her because her actions may have been brought about by the way she was formed in the past. And so let the law judge her,” she added.
Delgado said Margallo is still capable of changing herself despite her distorted views.
“Her behavior is out of normal. But we can still help her by providing a holistic intervention that includes spiritual formation, among others. It takes a lot of time and effort,” she said.
Delgado also reminded parents to be careful in dealing with their kids, saying whatever they do will have a lasting effect on children.
“Please avoid using physical pain on you children. If they commit an infraction, do not treat them like animals. Inflicting physical pain should be your last recourse and if you do it, do it gently and please explain to them why you did it,” she said.
Talking to a female official of the National Bureau of Investigation on Thursday, Margallo expressed remorse for sexually abusing and torturing at least 12 young children, one of whom died.
Lawyer Janet Francisco, head of the Manila-based NBI Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTRAD), said Margallo confided to her why she was fierce and violent towards children.
Francisco said that Margallo told her that back when she was a kid, she was maltreated by her mother.
Now that she has grown up, Margallo wants other children to experience what she underwent at the hands of her mother.
“Parang gumaganti lang daw siya sa mga bata. (She wanted to retaliate by hurting children). And she finds pleasure in doing it,” Francisco said.
While she felt pity for Margallo, Francisco said the young lady should answer for what she did to the children.