Tulfo grills barangay captain for alleged lapses in handling abused helper’s case

Sen. Raffy Tulfo during one of the hearings in the Senate. Senate PRIB file photo / Joseph Vidal

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday grilled the barangay chairman of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro for lapses when he called up the employers of abused helper Elvie Vergara after the escape and even allowed her to return to the house where she was continuously battered when she asked for help in 2021.

During the Senate committee on justice and human rights inquiry into Vergara’s supposed maltreatment, the helper said she briefly escaped the Ruiz family and sought the help of Mamburao barangay captain Jimmy Patal.

However, Vergara said Patal purportedly called up the family and informed them of her whereabouts, leading to her immediate return and confinement.

For his part, Patal claimed that Vergara was found by her employer even before she could report about the abuse and maltreatment she experienced.

“Si nanay Elvie po nadatnan ko po sa barangay talagang nakakaawa po tignan so una ko pong [ginawa] sinabihan ko po yung tanod ko pong babae na linisan po at palitan ng damit dahil di ko po kilala siya [..] akala ko po ay naligaw na taong grasa,” the barangay captain recounted.

(When I first saw Vergara, she looked pitiful and thought she was a beggar. I then asked my colleague to clean her up and change her clothes.)

“Sinasabi ko pa lang ganun [linisan siya] dumating na po yung amo niya na si Mr. Ruiz,” he added.

(But before we could even do that, Mr. Ruiz had already arrived.)

Irked Tulfo did not believe Patal’s story, asking him how Vergara’s employer tracked her down in the barangay hall.

“Ikaw may dahilan ka magsinungaling kasi tumawag ka sa amo for all we know baka bayad ka nila baka sinuhulan ka. Kung nasa katinuan ka the first thing you should have done is i-pacheck siya sa doctor tawagan mo CHR (Commission on Human Rights) o PNP (Philippine National Police),” the senator said.

(You have a reason to lie. For all we know you called her boss because they bribed you. If you are in the right mind, the first thing you will do is have her checked by a doctor and call CHR and PNP.)

“Alam mo napaka sinungaling mo gusto mo i-lie detector test ka namin payag ka? Kapag lumitaw na ikaw ay nagsisinungaling kukulong ka agad namin dyan sa baba […] Kung ako dito ngayon sa committee sampahan ka dapat ng kaso dereliction of duty,” he warned.

(You’re such a liar, are you willing to undergo a lie detector test? If results showed that you’re lying we will lock you up in the Senate detention facility. If I can decide for the committee, I will have you charged with dereliction of duty.)

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JPV