Senators slam barangay chair for alleged lapses over case of abused helper in Mindoro

Senators on Tuesday slammed a barangay chairman in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro for supposedly failing to help Elvie Vergara, a 44-year-old domestic worker who was allegedly abused by her employers.

In recounting her experience, Vergara said she was able to escape from her employers in 2021, around four years after she entered into their service in 2017, and one year since her abuse started in 2020.

Vergara said that she sought help from the barangay but instead of aiding her, she heard one of the officials supposedly informing her employer about her location.

“Narinig ko po 'yung sabi niya sa amo kong lalaki, o Sir Jerry parang nandito ‘yung isang kasambahay mo, nandito,” Vergara said during the hearing of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

“Hindi ko po makikita… kilala ko po 'yung beses,” she later added.

The 44-year-old said that when she ran to the barangay, she could still see in one eye. Now, she has completely lost her vision.

For Senator Raffy Tulfo, Barangay Captain Jimmy Patal did not do his job correctly. 

“Kasi kung ginawa mo ‘yung trabaho mo nang tama, hindi na sana lumalala pa ‘yung sitwasyon ni Ma’am Elvie. Kaya siya lumala nang lumala dahil naging pabaya ka,” Tulfo said.

“Kung ako… sampahan ka dapat ng kaso, dereliction of duty,” he added.

Patal, meanwhile, denied neglecting to help Vergara. He said he had ordered a female barangay tanod to clean Vergara up but that her employer had arrived mere minutes after she did.

“Basta po siya madungis po. Akala ko ay naligaw na taong grasa. So ‘yun po ang utos ko sa tanod ko ay linisan si Nanay Elvie. Tapos hindi pa po siya, sinasabi ko pa pong ganoon, dumating na po ‘yung amo niya na si Mr. Ruiz,” he said.

Patal also denied calling her employer, saying the latter told him that he had been following her.

“Hindi pa nga po siya nakakapagsalita, dumating na po 'yung kanyang amo at sinabi po niya sinusundan niya at nakaalis po sa kanyang tindahan,” he said.

Senator Robin Padilla, meanwhile, criticized Patal for failing to listen to both sides, which he said should have been the standard procedure.

“Bakit naman ang pinakinggan mo lang 'yung amo lang, hindi mo kinausap 'yung isa. 'Di ba automatic 'yun pakikinggan mo 'yung dalawang partido,” Padilla said.

In his defense, Patal said that Vergara did not reply when they asked her.

This was denied by Vergara, who said that she spoke up.

“Ako po ang nagsalita, sabi ko chairman pa-check po 'yung gamit ko, baka sabihin nila nagnakaw po ako doon,” she said. She earlier said that no one checked her bag.

Patal, however, did not back down and said that many others were present who can testify that Vergara did not say anything. 

He reiterated that he believed that she was a “taong grasa.”

But Padilla said that this was not an excuse.

“Hindi, alam mo na nga na hindi na nga siya taong grasa dahil dumating na nga ‘yung amo 'di ba. Dumating na nga. Ano ano dito chairman, hindi mo ginawa ‘yung trabaho mo. Dapat kasi tinanong mo rin siya,” Padilla said.

“Natural ‘yun eh. ‘Yun ang unang dapat ginawa. 'Wag mo ko ganun-ganunan sa tenga, uupakan kita. Maniwala ka sa akin,” he added.

Vergara and her family have filed a case of serious illegal detention, trafficking, and serious physical injuries against her employers.—AOL, GMA Integrated News