Pilita Corrales Reveals She Was a Battered Wife for 10 Years

In an interview on Pipol, Asia's Queen of Songs, Pilita Corrales, revealed that she suffered through 10 years of domestic abuse at the hands of ex-husband Amado del Paraguay, ABS-CBNNews.com reports.

"[It was] very bad, I was beaten up. At one time, I lost my voice, although the doctor said it will come back after one month," the X-Factor Philippines judge is quoted as saying.

Pilita said her husband's alcoholism caused his violence. "Once he would already take a drop of alcohol, I was already like this," she said, her hands clasped as if in prayer. "It would happen again. [There was a time] I was hit with a telephone here (points to her ear)--it was bleeding--can you imagine singing with that?"

Despite the abuse she endured, however, she stayed in the relationship, something that still bewilders her up to now. "What happens is that sometimes people say, 'You like to be beaten,' but then you tell yourself, 'Why didn't you get out?' People were telling me, 'My God, gusto mo siguro magulpi. Why didn't you leave him after so many years kung ginaganoon ka naman? (People were telling me, 'My God, you probably wanted to get beaten up. Why didn't you leave him after so many years even if he was treating you badly?)' Then I thought, 'My goodness.'"

Looking back, the singer said she stayed because of her fear of being alone. "Seems like I thought, if I leave him, wala naman ako dito, maghahanap naman ako ng iba. I don't want to be alone. Until a certain day came--parang sinabi ko--that's it. You leave and never go back. It took me 10 years. (Seems like I thought, if I leave him, I don't have anybody else and I would have to look for another partner. I don't want to be alone. Until a certain day came--I told myself--that's it. You leave and never go back. It took me 10 years.)"

Pilita said that, if faced with the same situation today, she would definitely leave the relationship as soon as possible. "I won't stay an hour."

(Photo courtesy of PEP.ph)