The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Tuesday cited in contempt France Ruiz, one of the alleged abusive employers of domestic helper Elvie Vergara.
During the Senate panel's third investigation into the alleged maltreatment of the couple France and Gerry Ruiz to Vergara, senators ordered the detainment of the latter after provided "inconsistent answers" to senators.
Senator Francis Tolentino, chair of the Senate panel, declared the detention of the female Ruiz "for continuously evading the questions propounded by the members of this Committee as well as falsely testifying under direct examination by Committee members."
Senator Jinggoy Estrada originally made a motion to detain France at the Pasay City Jail but withdrew it upon consultation with other members of the committee.
France is detained inside the Senate jail while the Committee will be conducting parallel investigations on the case to finalize charges.
Prior to her detainment, France stood by her claims that denied that her family did not take part in Vergara's loss of sight, as well as the deformation of her nose.
She attributed the domestic helper's loss of sight to the latter's previous fights with her fellow domestic helpers.
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.