The story of Romeo Galves is a devastating two-act tragedy that explores the depths of betrayal, the pain of loss, and a desperate quest for a justice that the system could not provide. It began with an honest man trying to save his family and ended with a series of irreversible acts born from heartbreak.

In early 2017, Romeo was a 35-year-old tricycle driver in Sultan Kudarat, struggling to make ends meet. His life was thrown into turmoil when his beloved wife was diagnosed with lupus, a serious illness requiring costly medical care.

To pay her hospital bills, he made a difficult decision: he left his family in the care of his parents and took a better-paying job as a stay-in house helper for a wealthy business couple, Wilbert and Claris Samaniego, in Koronadal.

He was a good employee—hardworking and trustworthy. But his new life took a horrifying turn in February 2017 when Claris claimed that three million pesos in cash had vanished from a cabinet in the master bedroom. Without hesitation, she pointed the finger at Romeo.

Her accusation was bolstered by the family driver, Ronald, who falsely testified that he had seen Romeo counting a large sum of money. When police searched Romeo’s belongings, they found a bundle of P50,000 in cash and an expensive necklace—items he had never seen before. He was immediately arrested for qualified theft and, due to the large sum involved, was denied bail.

While Romeo sat in a cell, his world outside was collapsing. His wife’s health deteriorated rapidly. Two months into his unjust imprisonment, his mother traveled for hours to deliver the soul-crushing news: his wife had passed away. He had not been there. He had been unable to help. The news broke him completely.

The case seemed hopeless until an unexpected act of conscience changed everything. The husband, Wilbert, feeling a sense of guilt or pity, sent a new lawyer to review Romeo’s case. The lawyer made a critical discovery: Romeo’s fingerprints were not on the planted money. Instead, the prints belonged to Claris, the driver Ronald, and an unidentified third person.

At the same time, Ronald’s own wife, Myra, came forward, confirming she had long suspected her husband and Claris were having an affair. The evidence was clear: Romeo had been framed. Wilbert himself took the stand, withdrew the complaint, and Romeo was finally set free.

But freedom brought no peace. He returned home a broken man, carrying his wages and financial assistance from a guilt-ridden Wilbert, but the wife he had done it all for was gone. The second act of his tragedy began.

He soon learned that Claris and Ronald had moved in together, living a comfortable life in a gated subdivision, completely unpunished for their deceit. The sight of their happiness, contrasted with his own profound loss, ignited a burning rage in Romeo. He spent a week tracking their movements, his grief solidifying into a dark resolve. One night in October 2018, armed with his late father’s old gun, he slipped into their home. In a few quiet, final moments, the lives of Claris and Ronald came to a violent end.

Romeo did not run. He walked to the highway and calmly surrendered to the first police patrol he saw. In a stunning twist, Wilbert Samaniego once again stepped in, hiring the best defense lawyer for the man his own wife had wronged.

The court heard the full story: the false accusation, the planted evidence, the loss of his wife during his wrongful imprisonment, and the emotional trauma he had endured. Recognizing the extreme mitigating circumstances, the judge handed down a sentence that was not a punishment, but a recognition of his suffering: just eight years.

After serving four years, Romeo Galves was released for good conduct in 2024. He returned to his children and his old life as a tricycle driver, a free man at last, but one who will forever carry the weight of a justice he was forced to find for himself.