Tulfo proposes one-strike policy, higher criminal liability vs abusive employers of kasambahays

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo strongly condemned the severe maltreatment and abuse of kasambahay Elvie Vergara by her employer from Occidental Mindoro who subjected her to physical and emotional abuse since 2020.

During the Senate hearing of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights today (Aug 22), Tulfo proposed a one-strike policy against abusive employers and higher criminal liability for their acts of harm against domestic helpers.

He added that the unfortunate incident of Vergara should be a "wake up call" for them to review the Domestic Workers Act and other laws pertaining to domestic workers.

Tulfo, who has been helping abused domestic helpers seeking help through his radio show for more than two decades now, said "sa aking programa, hindi na bago ang mga kwento ng mga kawawang kasambahay natin na inaapi."

In the case of Vergara, she was accused of stealing P12,000 in cash and a watch, which supposedly prompted her employer to hurt her in the last three years, causing her partial blindness and other traumas.

Tulfo lamented that abusive employers normally use Qualified Theft to threaten innocent domestic helpers like Vergara and stop them from reporting to authorities their ordeal.

As such, Tulfo vowed to pass a bill that will remove kasambahays from the provisions of qualified theft under the revised penal code.

Tulfo explained that in the current law, domestic workers are punished with a penalty two degrees higher than the penalty for regular theft, which he called "very discriminatory and anti-poor."

"Alam niyo ba pag binasa mo itong batas na ito, ang tawag pa sa ating mga kasambahay ay domestic servant. Napaka-makaluma na pag-iisip. Qualified Theft should only punish those given clear trust and confidence with property of the owner," Tulfo said.

Meanwhile, aside from Vergara's employer, Tulfo said criminal case should also be filed against Chairman Jimmy Patal for dereliction of duty on top of serious illegal detention.

According to Vergara, she ran to the barangay hall sometime in 2021 for help after escaping the Ruiz family but Patal, instead of helping her, called her employer instead to report her presence. Vergara was later returned to her employer who illegally detained her after said incident.

Asked if a case of dereliction of duty will suffice, a lawyer from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) confirmed that it could be a ground for a case buildup. Meanwhile, a case of serious illegal detention against Patal is already pending before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Batangas.

One-strike policy, mas mabigat na parusa para sa among magmamaltrato ng kasambahay, tinutulak ni Tulfo

Mariing kinondena ni Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo ang matinding pagmamaltrato at pang-aabuso sa kasambahay na si Elvie Vergara ng kanyang amo mula sa Occidental Mindoro na nagsimula ang pangaabuso mula noong taong 2020.

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights ngayong araw (Aug 22), iminungkahi ni Tulfo ang one-strike policy laban sa mga abusadong employer ng mga domestic worker at mas mataas na criminal liability para sa kanila.

Dagdag niya, ang dinanas ni Vergara ay dapat maging "wake up call" para sa Senado upang irebyu ang Domestic Workers Act at iba pang mga batas na nauukol sa mga domestic worker.

Giit pa niya, hindi ito ang unang pagtataon na may kasambahay na naaabuso. "Sa aking programa, hindi na bago ang mga kwento ng mga kawawang kasambahay natin na inaapi."

Sa kaso ni Vergara, inakusahan siya ng pagnanakaw ng P12,000 na pera at relo, na nag-udyok umano sa kanyang amo na saktan siya. Dahil dito siya ay tuluyang nabulag.

Sinabi ni Tulfo na ginagamit ng mga masasamang amo ang Qualified Theft bilang panakot sa mga kasambahay nila para wag na magreklamo sa mga abuso na nararanasan nila.

Dahil dito, sinaad ni Tulfo: "I will pass a bill that will remove our kasambahays from the provisions of qualified theft."

Ipinaliwanag ni Tulfo na sa kasalukuyang batas, ang mga domestic worker ay pinaparusahan ng parusang dalawang degree na mas mataas kaysa sa parusa para sa regular na pagnanakaw. Sinabi niya na ito ay "very discriminatory and anti-poor."

"Alam niyo ba pag binasa mo itong batas na ito, ang tawag pa sa ating mga kasambahay ay domestic servant. Napaka-makaluma na pag-iisip. Qualified Theft should only punish those given clear trust and confidence with property of the owner," ani Tulfo.

Samantala, bukod sa amo ni Vergara, sinabi ni Tulfo na dapat ding sampahan ng kasong kriminal si Chairman Jimmy Patal para sa dereliction of duty bukod pa sa serious illegal detention.

Ayon kay Vergara, tumakbo siya sa barangay hall noong 2021 para humingi ng tulong matapos siyang makatakas sa pamilya Ruiz ngunit sa halip na tulungan siya ni Patal, tinawagan niya ang amo nito upang sabihin na nasa barangay siya. Kalaunan ay ibinalik si Vergara sa kanyang amo na iligal na kinulong ito sa kanya matapos ang nasabing insidente.