I first met Diana Limjoco three years ago. We were doing a story on Imelda Marcos’ jewels seized by the PCGG. While doing research for the story, we chanced upon her website where she had posted pictures of the so-called Romoulietos collection. We contacted her and made arrangements to meet her for an interview in Manila.

The interview turned out to be interesting. She was one of a few who were allowed to take pictures of the fabulous jewels before they were taken in for storage at the Central Bank. But what turned out to be more interesting was our conversation after the interview. While our crew was packing up, our small talk turned to why she had decided to live in the States. After all, she belonged to a privileged family and had no need to find a “better” life abroad.

But in fact, she did.

What she told us next put things in perspective. She decided to leave precisely because she wanted to move away from the memory of a traumatic experience that had shattered her life as a young teenager. People she knew raped her. Men she knew as “Tito,” men known to her family who had threatened to harm her if she spoke a word about her experience.

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