Abuse victim Elvie Vergara's fellow helper accuses employers of maltreatment

Another household helper on Monday accused the employers of abused helper Elvie Vergara of maltreatment.

Facing the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Melinda Magno said one of her employers, France Ruiz, hit her with a golok or a large single-edged knife on December 14, 2017.

According to Magno, she was recruited to work for Ruiz on May 2, 2017 but only lasted until December 15, or a day after the incident with the golok happened.

“Kaya po ako umalis noon gawa po ng tinaga po ‘yung kamay po. Maigi po na likod ng golok ang pinangtaga n’ya sa akin (I left because I was hit in the hand with a golok. It was fortunate that I wasn't wounded),” Magno said.

Asked who hit her, Magno said “France.”

At that time, Magno said she was picking up trash and she had no idea why Ruiz hit her.

“Ang sabi ko po sa kanya eh nakakasakit ka na, parang hindi ka tao eh. Hindi na po s’ya umimik tapos umalis s’ya sa tabi ko (I told her she is being physically abusive like she wasn't human. She just left without saying a word),” Magno recounted.

Magno said she did not inform her husband and her son, Jerwell, who was working with her in Ruiz’s household, about the incident.

Apart from physical abuse, Magno also claimed she was verbally abused by her employer.

“Pag ako po ay napasok araw-araw eh lagi niya po akong minumura dahil ang bagal-bagal ko raw magtrabaho (Almost every day they would curse at me because according to them I work slow),” she said.

“Dinuduro-duro pa ako sa pinagtatrabahuhan ko. Kahit na maraming tao dinuduro niya po ako (They would humiliate me even in front of other people),” Magno also said.

Upon the interpellation of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Magno also revealed that she did not receive any salaries from Ruiz during her seven-month stay in their household.

According to Magno, Ruiz was supposed to pay for her P4,500 per month.

“Wala po. Hindi po. Bale, hangga’t umalis ako e. Mga bigas lang, mga grocery, mga ulam. Walang pera (I received no salary until the day I left, just rice and grocery, no money)” she said.

Jerwell, who was also present in the hearing, claimed he also received expletives from Ruiz.

Ruiz was present in the hearing but he has yet to respond to Magno’s allegations as of posting time.

The Senate panel is investigating the case of Vergara, who went partially blind after allegedly suffering abuse at the hands of employers. The 44-year-old helper escaped from her employers, who were allegedly abusing her since 2020.

Ruiz and her husband repeatedly denied the allegations in the previous Senate hearings.

Ruiz claimed Vergara’s injuries and blindness were caused by a fight with their male house helpers, a claim denied by the other helpers. —KBK, GMA Integrated News