Filipino helper roughed up by PH envoy ‘in good spirits,’ to testify on ‘abuses’ – Zubiri

MANILA, Philippines — The Filipino household helper maltreated by a Philippine ambassador is “very willing” to submit an affidavit of the alleged abuses she had gone through at the diplomat’s hands.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he spoke with the household helper on the phone on the matter.

Zubiri described the house helper, who he identified only as Ms. De Ocampo, as “in good spirits” and thankful to be back to her home in South Cotabato.

“She’s physically and mentally better and she’s in good spirits…Medyo worried lang kasi siya dahil meron siyang kamag-anak na may sakit e nawalan ng trabaho, siya po ang breadwinner ng family,” he told reporters in an online interview.

(She’s physically and mentally better and she’s in good spirits…She’s just a bit worried because she has a relative who’s sick but she lost her job, she is her family’s breadwinner.)

“She’s very willing to give a statement to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and an affidavit to itemize and put on record the abuses [that have] been done to her,” he said in a separate interview on CNN Philippines.

Philippine Ambassador to Brazil Marichu Mauro was earlier recalled and ordered to return to the Philippines to explain the incident immediately.

This, after Brazilian news outlet GloboNews released video footage where she appeared to be maltreating her household help multiple times on different occasions inside her residence.

Zubiri said De Ocampo’s daughter reached out to him after posting on his Facebook a statement condemning Mauro’s actions.

The senator said he offered legal and financial assistance to the Filipino household helper.

“Our office is willing to support her if she wants to. If she needs legal help, kasi eventually during the investigation of the DFA, kailangan din kumuha ng testimony ang DFA galing sa kanya [the DFA would need to get a testimony from her]. So she may have to give a sworn affidavit of the things that have transpired while she was serving under Ambassador Mauro,” Zubiri said.

“Thankfully, meron naman tayong video documentation. Kasi the video will never lie. The truth is as clear as day do’n sa [in the] video. Kaya buti na rin nagkaroon ng video documentation dahil sa mga CCTV footage [That’s why it was good that there was video documentation of the incident since there is CCTV footage],” he added.

Asked if De Ocampo’s family is looking to file a case against the envoy, Zubiri said: “I presume.”

“Sana hindi naman po siya magpaareglo kasi caught red-handed na po,” he added.

(I hope if she does file she won’t agree to a settlement because the ambassador was caught red-handed.)

“We’re hoping that…they’ll cooperate with the investigation but at the end of the day, as far as I’m concerned, [there is an] airtight case against Ambassador Mauro dahil nga ito sa [because of the] CCTV footage,” he added. [ac]