Elvie Vergara continued to suffer violence under employer’s daughter

Elvie Vergara, a domestic helper from Occidental Mindoro who lost her sight as a result of years of torture at the hands of her employers, continued to experience violence at the hands of her employer's daughter.

Senator Francis Tolentino revealed this during the resumption of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights' investigation into Vergara's case on Tuesday.

According to Tolentino, Vergara, who was already blind, continued to experience maltreatment after she was transferred to Danica Gerlyn Ruiz's residence in Batangas City, the daughter of her alleged abusive employers France and Gerry Ruiz.

"When Elvie Vergara was transferred, apparently, for medical assistance to a place in Batangas city, to another member of the household of the Ruiz family, she was also asked to do the same work," he said.

Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon Jr. supported Tolentino's presumption, stressing that the nature of the offense to Vergara was continued since she was only transferred to the younger Ruiz.

Maria Fe Guillermo Villar, the domestic helper of the younger Ruiz in Batangas City, also validated the claim in her sworn statement.

Meanwhile, Danica's parents, France and Gerry denied Vergara's claims that they maltreated her for several years which led to her blindness.

According to France, Vergara's wounds were self-inflicted.

"She got her wounds because she was too lazy to take baths sometimes. Sometimes, it would take her four to five days before took a bath. She got wounds because she was scratching herself," she said.

France also denied that they took part in Vergara's loss of sight, as well as the deformation of her nose, attributing it to the latter's fights with her fellow domestic helpers.

"That was caused by her fights with her fellow domestic helpers at the back [of the house]. I only learned about it recently," she said.

For her part, Vergara stood by her claims that she was physically abused by the Ruizes.

During the hearing, opthalmologist Dr. Airene Oloroso said fractures in Vergara's skull, as seen in her computerized tomography or CT scan, could possibly attributed to the latter's blindness.

"If the fracture is severe, it can affect one's [eye] globe," Oloroso said.

She also noted that Vergara's left eye, which had already shrunk, may be due to previous injury or trauma.

Vergara accused her previous employers of physically assaulting her such as ramming her head in the comfort room's wall and sink and hitting her with solid materials like belts and clothes hangers.