Bonita Baran. Photo taken from senate.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines–The Quezon City couple who went into hiding after being charged for maltreating their housemaid surrendered Monday at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila.
In a statement, Analiza Marzan said she and husband Reynold had decided to surface to air their side on the allegations by Bonita Baran that she was tortured until she went blind.
The Marzans are facing serious illegal detention raps at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Analiza is also charged with attempted homicide and serious physical injury.
When they saw Baran’s scars on TV, Analiza said they felt a mix of dread and sadness.
“We were sad because she was like family to us and we entrusted our three children to her care during her four-year stay with us,” she said. “I wouldn’t have hurt her the way she told it on television because I’m a mother who fears that the same would happen to my children.”
George Jularbal, regional director of NBI in the National Capital Region, said the Marzans went to the NBI compound along Taft Avenue, accompanied by their children and lawyer.
The NBI-NCR was tasked by the Senate to arrest the Marzans after they failed to appear at Senate hearings on the alleged torture.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada personally appeared at the NBI to take the Marzan couple into Senate custody.
The Marzans said they hope they would be given a fair trial because they felt that the case was railroaded.
Analiza said Baran was even reluctant to go back to their province in May because her father was abusive, beating her as a child while placed in a sack. She said Baran received a call from her sister informing her that their mother had their father jailed when she couldn’t take the abuse anymore.
Baran, who was in wheelchair, also appeared at the NBI with lawyer Persida Acosta of the Public Attorney’s Office.
“She can’t lie about abusing me. She burned my face with an iron then punched me in the eye until I went blind. My (left) ear is deformed because of too much punching,” she said.
Baran said she would not drop the charges against the Marzans, “I want to get justice for what they did to me.”