Cult member ‘has Stockholm Syndrome’

Psychiatrist Mary Jane Delgado listens to the cross examine by defense lawyer Danilo Yap after testifying in court that Emma Nepomuceno is suffering from Stockholm syndrome at the hands of cult leader Casiano Apduhan before the sala of Judge Hermes Montero in Toledo City.(CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

A clinical psychologist yesterday told the court “it is not good to trust the testimony” of the woman who denied she was a victim of serious illegal detention after staying for five years in the house of Casiano “Tatay Loloy” Apduhan in Balamban, Cebu.

Maryjun Delgado, who was presented by the prosecution as an expert witness, said the testimony of Emma Bocabal Nepomuceno, was not reliable because she displayed behavior that indicates Stockholm Syndrome or capture-bonding.

“Bonds form between victims and abusers . This results in cognitive dissonance thus leading the victim to defend their abusers,” explained the psychologist.

As a result, she said the victim dissociates from her suffering or helplessness and would start to see the world according to the captor’s perspective.

Delgado said Nepomuceno had been emotionally and psychologically vulnerable at the time she lived with Apduhan.

“She embraced it without scrutiny and irrationally swalloed into her system all the belifes fed on her. Then with her weakness, she was taken advantaged with and became an easy prey for blind conformity,” the psychologist said.

She recommended that Nepomuceno should undergo an “intensive and wholistic psyhological intervention so the latter can go back to reality, dissociate from irrational beliefs, join and bond with her family, and be able to integrate normally again with the society.”

Apduhan’s lawyer Danilo Yap objected to the presentation of Delgado, saying the latter is incompetent because she was not able to personally examine or talk to Nepomuceno.

Delgado who holds a masters degree in psychology and a summa cum laude graduate in BS Psychology at the University of San Carlos, was nonetheless allowed by the judge to testify.

Delgado admitted that he never had the chance to examine or interview Nepomuceno. But her findings are based on documents about the case in court.

Delgado, the second witness for the prosecution, said it would take two to three years for a Stockholm Syndrome to die down.

“In clinical experience, the victim find him/herself emotionally attached or even in love with their abusers or captors. They could not even explain it themselves but are overwhelmed by their emotions for their perpetrators,” Delgado said.

Apduhan is facing charges of serious illegal detention and two counts of illegal possession of firearms in court.

Serious illegal detention is a non-bailable offense. But if the judge will rule that there is no probable cause to hold a trial against the accused, then Apduhan will be released.

No more witness

The prosecution requested the court to allow them to present another witness, a physician who will reportedly prove that the bruises on Nepomuceno’s body was inflicted by another person.

But Yap opposed the request, saying his client has been languishing in jail for a long time already and that the court should rule whether there is probable cause that Apduhan committed serious illegal detention.

Executive Judge Hermes Montero of the Toledo City Regional Trial Court took into consideration Yap’s plea and denied the request of the prosecution for the presentation of another witness.
Montero gave the parties 10 days to submit their respective memorandum before he will decide whether or not to release Apduhan.

Nepomuceno was rescued by agents of the NBI inside Apduhan’s residence in barangay Buanoy, Balamban town last March 26.

Separate charges of murder, child abuse, and human trafficking were also filed against Apduhan but are still under preliminary investigation before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

The charges stemmed from the discovery of the skeletal remains of a 14-year-old boy which was found by the NBI in 50-foot-deep tunnel under Apduhan’s house. Apduhan, who claimed to heal the sick and bring the dead back to life, denied having a hand in the boy’s death./with XU Intern Irish Maika R. Lam and UP Cebu Intern Gerriane Rizon