Elvie Vergara’s employer allegedly put chili, hammered helper's private part

France Ruiz, the employer of abused helper Elvie Vergara allegedly put chili and hammered the latter's private part, senators learned Monday.

During the continuation of the Senate justice and human rights committee’s investigation into the alleged maltreatment of Vergara, Senator Jinggoy Estrada noticed the sworn statement of Paolo “Pawpaw” Toling.

“Sa iyong sinumpaang salaysay ito ang pahayag mo ha: Iihi po ako sa CR nang makita ko si Ate Elvie sa gilid ng CR namin na naghuhugas ng bibig pati ng ari niya. Tinanong ko ano ang nangyari, ang sagot niya pinakain daw siya ng sili ni Ate France at nilagyan ang ari niya kasi malandi siya,” Estrada, who was reading Toling’s sworn affidavit, said.

(In your sworn statement, you said: I was going to pee in the CR when I saw Ate Elvie washing her mouth and private part. I asked her what happened, she said Ate France forced her to eat chili and also put some on her private part because she was a flirt.)

The testimony stated in the affidavit was confirmed by Toling.

In the same affidavit, Toling stated that he saw Ruiz punch Vergara on the shoulder, back, and stomach. The helper’s face was also put near a stove with fire.

Upon Estrada’s questioning, Vergara said that her private part was also hammered by Ruiz.

“Sa ari ko lang po pinukpok niya ng martilyo (She hit my private part with a hammer),” Vergara said.

Ruiz was present in the hearing but she was not able to answer the allegations made against her.

France’s husband, Pablo Jerry Ruiz, defended his wife and claimed that he did not witness any fight between the two.

He also said he did not see any incident where chili was put on Vergara’s private part.

“Walang inawat kasi wala naman akong nakita na nag-aaway. Wala po akong nakita, your honor (I did not see them fight),” he said.

Pablo Ruiz was eventually cited in contempt for “lying” before the committee. He will be joining his wife in detention.

The Senate panel investigated 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.

France and Pablo repeatedly denied the allegations in the previous Senate hearings.

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