Helpers file abuse plaint against employer
Two eatery workers filed a child abuse complaint against their employer for verbally abusing them, letting them work long hours, not paying their salaries and for letting them eat leftover spoiled rice.
Junrey Ligutom, 19, and Roselyn Niego, 18, of Zamboanga del Sur, filed the complaint last Aug. 14 at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against eatery owner Tyrone Uy of M.H. Aznar Road, Sambag II, Cebu City.
minor
Niego, who turned 18 last June 3, was a minor when the abuse happened from April 29 to May 30. Another co-worker, a 16-year-old girl, didn’t file a complaint against Uy but she left and stayed with her uncle, who rescued them from Uy’s eatery last May 31.
All three workers are from Zamboanga del Sur.
Ligutom started working last April 29 while Niego worked at the eatery since January this year.
Niego claimed in her affidavit that they were treated well at first. But when their employer found out that her two co-workers were having a relationship, his treatment of them changed.
The complainants claimed that Uy started verbally abusing them, let them work from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., didn’t allow them to have days off, and worse they weren’t paid their salaries.
help from uncle
When they couldn’t bear the abuse anymore, they called the minor’s uncle through the cell phone to help them leave the eatery.
The uncle, who arrived on May 30, was threatened by the wife of Uy, and backed off from taking them with him. A few hours later, the uncle returned accompanied by policemen, and succeeded in rescuing Ligutom, Niego, and his niece.
The complainants said they only filed the complaint after talks with the employer to pay them their salaries failed.
They said they needed their salaries so that they could return home to Zamboanga.
Ligutom and Niego are under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Cebu City Prosecutor Rogelio del Prado assured the complainants that they would act on the complaint within 60 days. Correspondent Tweeny M.
Malinao
