‘CIA with BA’: Alcoholism drives father to wish for his children’s death

Is it ever appropriate for a father to wish for his children to die to gain from it?

In the ‘Case 2 Face’ segment of the ‘CIA with BA’ episode aired on Sunday, August 11, Erwin expressed his concern about his older brother, Jeffrey, who struggles with alcoholism. Erwin revealed that whenever Jeffrey gets drunk, he says hurtful things to his children, even going so far as to wish for their deaths to benefit from the donations collected at their funerals.

Erwin mentioned that he had already sought help from barangay officials but turned to the TV program to ensure his brother received proper counseling and understood the consequences of his actions.

Although Jeffrey initially denied the accusations, he eventually admitted to drinking excessively, which often led him to lose his temper. He also confessed to hosts Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano that he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism after the deaths of his wife and one of his children, leading to the neglect of his other children.

As a legislator, Ate Pia explained to Jeffrey that the law clearly states he must take care of his children.

The program pledged to help counsel Jeffrey and provide assistance for his children, particularly Jeremy, who needs a medical check-up.

“You can’t control someone’s actions, but you can control your reaction,” Kuya Alan shared his thoughts on the issue.

“Magkapatid na parehong maganda [ang] intensyon pero they’re hearing different things. So, ang dating kay Jeffrey, pinapakialaman siya; ang dating naman kay Erwin, nagmamalasakit siya. Ang dating kay Erwin, tumutulong siya; ang dating naman kay Jeffrey, nilalait o sinusumbatan siya,” he continued.

“There are many things we want to change, but let’s start with our reaction to what we see, especially if we think it’s wrong,” he concluded.

For his part, Boy Abunda emphasized the importance of listening and the need for intervention. “Importante na nakikinig tayo. Importante ‘yung sinasabi natin palagi na may intervention — isang tao na iginagalang, isang tao na nagsasabing, ‘Dahan-dahan. Medyo hindi na tama ang iyong ginagawa,’” he noted.

‘CIA with BA’ continues the legacy of the late Senator Rene Cayetano and airs every Sunday at 11:00 p.m. on GMA7, with replays on GTV the following Saturday at 10:30 p.m.