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Kasambahay Elvie faces off with alleged abusive employers at Senate hearing

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Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Domestic helper Elvie Vergara faced off with her alleged abusive employers at a Senate hearing Tuesday, accusing them of years-long maltreatment.Four lawyers accompanied Vergara&#x27;s employers, France and Pablo “Jerry” Ruiz, when they appeared before the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee’s hearing Tuesday.The couple was subpoenaed by the panel after they snubbed the invitation last month, regarding the case of Vergara, who was supposedly hired by them year 2017, but was allegedly maltreated by the family from 2020 to 2023.In front of the Ruiz couple, Vergara again narrated her alleged ordeal in his employers’ hands.“Yung kanan ko sa ulo inuntog nila ako sa CR, sa pader ... Dumudugo po (ulo ko) pag ako ay inuuntog nila ako sa CR ... &#x27;Yung amo ko pong babae, &#x27;pag mainit po ang ulo ... hinihila po ako. Minsan po etong ulo ko sa kaliwa, inuuntog ako sa lababo ... sinusuntok po ako... &#x27;yun pong amo kong babae,” Vergara told the panel.Asked by committee chairman, Sen. Francis Tolentino how frequent were those beatings, Elvie said she &quot;cannot remember.&quot;Even Jerry – France’s husband – and their two children aged 18 and 16, hit her, Vergara said. Those beatings happened every time that her “Kuya Jerry” is intoxicated, she claimed.“Minsan tinatadyakan, hinahagis sa sahig &#x27;saka binabato ng lamesa ... tinamaan nga po ako sa mukha ... &#x27;yung dalawang anak hinahampas po ako ng hanger. Sinuntok ako sa tagiliran ni Jerome (the 16-year old son),” Vergara said.“Pag nakasigaw ako, sinasaway ako huwag daw ako maingay. Hinampas-hampas nila ko huwag daw akong sisigaw ... &#x27;pag nagsasabi po (na masakit) ako tuluy-tuloy nila akong sinasaktan,” she added.Vergara said her employers were accusing her of putting pubic hair in their meal and of stealing.“Hindi mo ipinagtanggol ang iyong sarili na takluban mo ang iyong mukha? Kasi alam mo na kung saan ka tatamaan eh— sa sintido, sa ilong, sa pisngi. So hindi mo na prinotektahan, tinakluban ang iyong sarili, para di maging malubha yung tama ng iyong mukha?” Tolentino asked.“Hindi na po. .. pinapasa-Diyos ko na lang,&quot; Vergara replied.She added she opted not to seek police assistance because her France repeateadly warned her that they are related to a policeman in Mamburao.Policewoman Maria Eliza “Liza” Palabay, who was pinpointed by Elvie as the relative of the Ruiz, denied the claim.“Sa statement ni Elvie, ang sinasabi niya po ang kamag-anak ko daw po ay si Mr. Jerry Ruiz. Both po yung mag-asawa, wala pong dugon na nananalaytay na kami ay magka-mag-anak consanguinity, and affinity,” she stressed.But Palabay told the panel the first time she saw years ago was a healthier short-haired Elvie.Sen. Jinggoy Estrada immediately moved to summon Jerlyn, the 18-year old daughter of the Ruiz in the next hearing.Doctors who attended the hearing presented the result of medical tests which indicated signs of damage in her skull, a dislocated nose bridge, sunken cheek and severely damaged eyes which they said can be due to severe trauma.Still, Elvie’s employers strongly denied they maltreated their kasambahay.“Tamad po kasi siyang (Elvie) maligo. Minsan inaabot siya ng 3, 4 na araw bago maligo. Nakakamot po niya,” France claimed.“Ibig mong sabihin &#x27;yung pagkabulag niya, yung deformed niyang ulo dahil sa pagkakamot?” Estrada pressed.France claimed their houseboy, a certain JM, was the one who hit Vergara because the latter entered their male worker’s room without his permission.“Ate Elvie alam mo yan na pinakilaaman mo gamit ni JM kaya sinaktan niya kaliwang mata mo.&quot;&quot;Totoo po, kasamahan niya &#x27;yung sumuntok sa kanya kasi pinakialaman niya yung brief at iba pang gamit niya... &#x27;saka nung pagpasok niya sa amin, medyo may puti na ang kaniyang mata. Hindi naman &#x27;yan itsura niya nung pumasok siya sa amin,” France insisted.“Wala pong katotohanan sinasabi ni Elvie,&quot; Jerry said.As a proof that Elvie was regularly receiving her P5,000 monthly salary, France later on showed a list of deductions given to the house help. And in the list includes face mask and cooking oil.“Ang nakakaltas lang sa kanya, nabasag na TV, nabasag na cabinet at mga karne,” Frances said.“Magkano kinaltas mo sa TV?” Tolentino asked.“Parang P7,000 lang yata... nanonood po &#x27;yung mga kasama niya ng TV. Marami silang nanonood, tapos dumaan lang siya, nalaglag na TV,” France said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/24/23/tolentino-mulls-special-court-handling-domestic-helpers-cases">Tolentino mulls &#x27;special court&#x27; handling domestic helpers&#x27; cases</a></li></ul>A visibly irked Estrada later issued a stern warning to the Ruiz couple.“Nakita nyo naman sitwasyon niya (Elvie). Sino gagawa nun? Sumasagot si Aling Elvie, dire-diretso. She’s not being coached by her legal counsel. Kayo binubulungan pa kayo ng legal counsel niyo,” Estrada pointed out.“I am warning both of you. Kapag oras na napatunayan namin na nagsinungaling kayo, ipakukulong ka namin ... seryoso ako rito, seryosong-seryoso,” Estrada added.The Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) is now working to recover Elvie’s unreleased salaries and other benefits.Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez of the Workers Welfare and Protection Cluster added that Elvie, who was required to work in the store, deserved more.“Si Ginang Elvie hind lang kasambahay, dahil may isa rin siyang industial undertaking. May wage rate sa kasambahay, may wage din sa retail at commercial establishment. Si Ginang Elvie hindi lang kasambhaay kundi manggagawa rin sa sari-sari-store,” Benavidez pointed out.Elvie’s wage, he added, must be as an industry worker based on the salary rate in Region 4B.Both the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Justice meantime gave their views on Elvie’s case.“We already conducted initial investigation. Ipapa-subpoena na po namin ang respondents,” said Atty. Brenda Canapi, CHR’s OIC Director for Region 4B.Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon meantime said: “I would agree that there would be violations and it would transcend one jurisdiction dahil nalipat siya sa isang lugar. It will be considered as a continuing offense but it would be an entirely different offense the one in violation of 10361 (Kasambahay Act).”“Apart from the violations of RA 10361, each inhumane treatment may be considered as one act. Kapag lumipat siya sa ibang lugar, may posibleng violation din kasi if the person was detained, against her will, kung di niya po gusto at siya ay pinanatili sa pangangalaga ng parehong mga tao, o kamag-anak, nagpapatuloy lang po yung pang aabuso sa kanya. In that sense, continuing siya kugn nagsimula siya sa isang lugar at nilipat siya sa isang lugar para ipagpatuloy ang pang-aabuso,” he added.After the hearing, the panel sent Elvie to UP-PGH for an immediate eye check-up and operation with the hope to save one of her eyes.The Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee aims to strengthen the penalty for abusive employers.The committee will also summon a former househelp of the Ruiz family who was also allegedly maltreated by their employers.<div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2791582" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

In front of the Ruiz couple, Vergara again narrated her supposed ordeal in his employers’ hands.

Kasambahay Elvie faces off with alleged abusive employers at Senate hearing

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Kasambahay Elvie faces off with alleged abusive employers at Senate hearing

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 06, 2023 12:39 AM PHT

Read More:

Elvie Vergara

France

Pablo Jerry Ruiz

Senate

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