A slew of criminal charges were filed at the Department of Justice yesterday by 18-year-old housemaid Mary Jane Sollano who was rescued by authorities from the Biak-na-bato, Quezon City residence of Mariano Tanenglian, brother of tycoon Lucio Tan, last Aug. 10.
Sollano filed against Tanenglian, his wife Aleta and children Maximilian and Fayette charges of maltreatment, serious illegal detention, slavery and frustrated homicide.
Sollano, a native of Zamboanga del Sur, said she suffered five years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse from her employers that only ended when another housemaid managed to call her father and alert the authorities about her predicament.
Sollano said she worked for Tanenglians from July 2004 to Aug. 10, 2009. She said she and the other house helpers were not allowed to use the telephone or cell phone, talk to fellow househelpers, laugh, sit in (family’s) chairs, look outside the window, watch TV, eat at any time, sleep or rest before their tasks were completed, and read any material or write.
She said she was punished for every small mistake, including whipping by a piece of steel or a thick slipper. She said Fayette once poured boiling water on her hand for a mistake and Maximilian kicked her, chained her, and did not feed her for three days when he caught her taking food from the refrigerator. Sollano said mother and daughter also took nude photos of her and threatened to show them around to other people, or to turn her over to a friend who owned a night club.
She said she wanted to go home in 2006 but was instead made to sign a work contract for two more years against her will.
Source:
Malaya
August 28, 2009
Page B2
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