FDH escapes, says employer hit her

Peralta

A 28-year-old mother of two was taken to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shelter after she had an argumentwith her employer in Happy Valley that led to the latter hitting her.

M. Peralta of Ilocos Sur told Hong Kong News on June 20 that her employer – a certain S. Wong – hit her and threatened her during an argument about rest days.

Peralta, who said she was forced to seek work here in Hong Kong after her husband lost his job as he underwent a kidney stone operation in January, said the argument took place on the evening of June 19.

“Nag-agawan kami ng kontrata, tapos nang nakatalikod siya, hinablot ko ang kontrata at pinalo niya ang kamay ko. Tapos nagpunta ako sa CR kasi talagang sasaktan niya ako. Sinara ko ang pinto, pinuwersya niya, at tumama ang pinto sa daliri ko,” Peralta said, showing her bandaged right forefinger.

After the door was forced open, the employer allegedly took Peralta’s bag, passport and Hong Kong ID. The Filipina then locked the door of the toilet and called the police.

“Nang pumunta ang Hong Kong police, nilagyan nila ng band-aid itong daliri ko. Pero ang sabi lang nila sa akin may dalawang options lang kami, either bababa na ako at babayaran ko ang employer ko o susundin naming parehas ang nasa kontrata,” Peralta said.

She chose to stay with her employer, she said, because she had no money to pay for the contract and that she still owed half of the P80,000 she paid her employment agency in the Philippines for training and medical fees.

When the policemen left, the employer  allegedly showed the Filipina photos of her husband and two children in the Philippines.

“Sabi niya ‘may picture ako ng anak mo at asawa mo,’ at pinakita niya sa akin ang picture. Tapos sabi niya ‘alam ko ang address ninyo sa Pilipinas.’ Tapos sabi niya ‘marami akong pera, maraming marami akong pera’,” Peralta said.

It was then that the Filipina decided to leave her employer’s house at around 1 a.m. of June 20.

Before leaving, her employer, and the latter’s parents kicked Peralta’s cellphone because they wanted to take it away. Peralta said she had video recordings of her and her employer’s arguments and even when the latter hit her hand.

They also inspected her bags and checked her belongings, a practice that they also did whenever Peralta leaves the house for her rest day.

“Kahit naliligo po ako, kumakatok siya. Hindi siya titigil hangga’t hindi mo siya binubuksan ng pinto. Kahit nakahubad ka kailangang buksan mo. Ilang ulit na ganun ang ginagawa niya,” she said.

Prior to the incident, Peralta said her employer was abusive and disrespectful of her. She said she argued with her employer because the latter still required her to work in the morning and at night during her rest days.

She also said that while she was given the $900 food allowance, she could not find the time to buy food and cook her meal.

“Kahit pagligo, wala akong oras, From Monday to Saturday, hanggang (hatinggabi) o one or two o’clock ng umaga ako nagtatrabaho kasi gusto niya tapusin ko lahat ng plantsahin ko,” she said.

Still, Peralta added, she did her job and took care of her employer’s three-year-old child.

She said she survived her four months of employment because another Filipina who lived in the same building would regularly give her food.

“Naawa siya sa akin, kaya kapag nagtatapon ako ng basura, binibigyan niya ako ng pagkain. Sabi niya sa akin ako na daw yata ang pangsampung helper na nakita niya sa amo ko,” Peralta said.

She said she also sought the assistance of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to blacklist her employer as another Filipina domestic helper is set to arrive in July.

Peralta said her employer wanted to have at least three helpers – one for taking care of the child, another to clean the house, and the last to cook meals.

She said her family in the Philippines knew of her ordeal and told her to come home.

“Sabi nga ng asawa ko, ‘uwi ka na lang, wala talagang swerte yata sa iyo ang paga-abroad’,” she said. Her husband used to work at a convenience store before he fell ill. Peralta, meanwhile, was sales attendant at SM Supermarket in Manila.

According to her, she only spent 20 days in her first employment in Hong Kong when she arrived in February. She was terminated when her lady employer became pregnant and Peralta, who has seven-year-old and four-year-old daughters, was told that they could no longer afford to pay her salary.

“Ang sabi sa akin iyon na lang daw nanay ng babae ang mag-aalaga. Nagpunta ako sa agency ko dito at binigyan nga nila ako ng bagong employer pero nagbayad ako ng $3,000,” she said