Court orders arrest of businessman, family for maid abuse (The Philippine Star)

A Quezon City court has ordered the arrest of businessman Mariano Tanenglian, his wife and two children over the alleged maltreatment of one of their underage housemaids.

In an order dated May 4, Judge Roslyn Rabara-Tria of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 94 also issued a hold departure against Tanenglian, estranged brother of businessman Lucio Tan; his wife Aleta and children Fayette and Maximilian.

The charges of illegal detention, trafficking and child abuse were based on a complaint filed by Aljane Bacanto, a former housemaid of the Tanenglians. Illegal detention and trafficking are non-bailable offenses. The court set bail at P80,000 for each of the accused for the child abuse case.

The case of another former helper, Mary Jane Sollano, who was also allegedly maltreated by the family, was raffled to the sala of Quezon City RTC Branch 102 Judge Lourdes Giron.

“After having personally examined the information, the resolution of the investigating prosecutor and all the supporting documents attached thereto, the court finds that there is probable cause to hold accused for trial for the offenses charged. Let warrants for their arrest (be) issued,” the court said in the order, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR.

“With regard to the motion for the issuance of a hold departure order, the court finds the same with merit and… the motion is granted,” the court said.

The STAR tried contacting Tanenglian’s lawyer, Raymund Quiroz, but calls made and text messages sent to his cellular phone were unanswered.

In past interviews, Quiroz had denied the charges against the Tanenglians. He had linked the case to Mariano Tanenglian’s move to testify against his estranged brother, tycoon Lucio Tan, in a government case.

Bacanto claimed she was 16 when she was first hired – with a monthly salary of P2,000 – in May 2006. She said she was maltreated while she was working for the Tanenglians. She said she was finally allowed to go home in January 2009, but allegedly without receiving her salary.

The Bureau of Immigration and Department of Foreign Affairs were both given a copy of the hold departure order against the accused. The court also denied the motion to suspend proceedings filed by the defense.

The prosecution had asked for the issuance of the hold departure order, claiming that the accused are “very influential and prominent people” and have access to both domestic and international transportation.

But the defense had opposed this, citing a pending motion to hold in abeyance the issuance of arrest warrants due to a pending motion for reconsideration filed with the Department of Justice.

However, the court ruled: “It must be emphasized that the function of the judge to issue a warrant of arrest upon determination of probable cause is exclusive… There is absolutely no ground for the court to suspend proceedings and defer issuance of warrants of arrest.”


Source:
Reinir Padua
The Philippine Star
Posted May 15, 2010 at http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=575309&publicationSubCategoryId=65

Utol ni Lucio Tan niresbakan ng kasambahay

Magsasagawa ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR) ng masusing imbestigasyon ukol sa umano’y pisikal at mental na pang-aabuso ng kapatid ni Chinese billionaire Lucio Tan na si Mariano Tanenglian sa kanyang kasambahay.
Habang isinasagawa ang imbestigasyon, pag-aaralan din ng CHR kung hihilingin sa Bureau of Immigration (BI) na maglabas ito ng hold departure order (HDO) laban sa suspek, ayon kay Atty. Carmelita Rosete, pinuno ng CHR Protection and Monitoring Division.

Ayon kay Rosete, sisisilip ng CHR ang anggulong paglabag sa karapatang pambata at child trafficking sa kaso ni Mary Jane Sollano, na nailigtas sa tahanan ni Tanenglian ng pinagsanib na pwersa ng CHR, Department of Social Welfare and Development at Quezon City Police District.
“Sollano was a minor when she was recruited five years ago, “ paliwanag ni Rosete.

Nang ma-rescue, puro paltos ang mga kamay ni Sollano dahil sa mainit na tubig na ibinuhos ni Tanenglian.

Nagsampa na si Sollano ng kasong kriminal na maltreatment, serious illegal detention, slavery at frustrated homicide sa Department of Justice (DOJ) laban kay Tanenglian, sa asawa nitong si Aletta at mga anak nilang sina Maximillian at Fayette.

Sa kanyang tatlong pahinang affidavit, idinetalye ni Sollano kung paano siya dumanas ng pisikal at mental na pang-aabuso mula sa pamilya Tanenglian sa kanilang tahanan sa Bgy. Siena sa Quezon City mula Hulyo 2004 hanggang Agosto 10, 2009.

Ayon kay Sollano, pinagbawalan siya at iba pang kasambahay na gumamit ng telepono, cellphone, tumawa, maupo sa mga upuan ng pamilya, tumingin sa labas ng bintana, manood ng TV, kumain anumang oras, matulog at magpahinga hanggang hindi natatapos ang trabaho, at magbasa ng anumang babasahin o magsulat.
Sa unang buwan niya sa trabaho, sinabi ni Sollano na nakarana na siya ng pagmamaltrato mula sa pamilya Tanenglian.

Sinubukan ni Sollano na magpaalam para makauwi na sa kanyang probinsya sa Zamboanga del Sur ngunit hindi siya pinayagan ng mga amo dahil sa kailangan niyang tapusin ang dalawang taong kontrata.

Nang matapos ang kanyang kontrata noong 2006, tumawag umano si Aleta sa isang abogado at sinabihan si Sollano na pumirma ng kontrata nang hindi binabasa ang nilalaman nito. Huli na nang malaman niyang pumirma siya sa panibagong dalawang taong kontrata para magsilbi sa pamilya Tanenglian.
Nakiusap si Sollano na payagan na siyang umalis ngunit sinabi ni Aleta na may babayaran pa siyang utang.

“I could not do anything but to just follow (them),” wika ni Sollano.

Source:
Bagong Tiktik
Setyembre 2, 2009
Page 2

Tanenglian lagot sa CHR

Magsasagawa ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR) ng masusing imbestigasyon ukol sa umano’y pisikal at mental na pang-aabuso na ipinataw ng Chinese billionaire na si Mariano Tanenglian sa kanyang kasambahay.

Habang isinasagawa ang imbestigasyon, pag-aaralan din ng CHR kung hihilingin sa Bureau of Immigration (BI) na maglabas ito ng hold-departure order laban sa suspect, ayon kay Atty. Carmelita Rosete, pinuno ng CHR Protection and Monitoring Division.

Ayon kay Rosete, sinsilip ng CHR ang anggulong paglabag sa karapatang pambata at child trafficking sa kaso ni Mary Jane Sollano, na nailigtas sa tahanan ni Tanenglian ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng CHR, Department of Social Welfare and Development at Quezon City Police District.

Nang ma-rescue, puro paltos ang mga kamay ni Sollano dahil sa mainit na tubig na ibinuhos umano ni Tanenglian.

Nagsampa na si Sollano ng kasong kriminal na maltreatment, serious illegal detention, slavery at frustrated homicide sa Department of Justice (DOJ) laban kay Tanenglian, sa asawa nitong si Aleta at mga anak na sina Maximillian at Fayette.

Sa kanyang tatlong pahinang affidavit, idinetalye ni Sollano kung paano siya dumanas ng pisikal at mental na pang-aabuso mula sa pamilyang Tanenglian sa kanilang tahanan sa Bgy. Siena sa Quexon City mula July 2004 hanggang Aug. 10.

Ayon kay Sollano, pinagbawalan siya at iba pang kasambahay na gumamit ng telepono, cellphone, tumawa, maupo sa upuan ng pamilya, tumingin sa labas ng bintana, manood ng TV, kumain ng anumang oras, matulog at magpahinga hanggang hindi natatapos ang trabaho, at magbasa ng anumang babasahin o magsulat.

Sa unang buwan niya sa trabaho, sinabi ni Sollano na nakaranas na siya agad ng pagmamaltrato mula sa pamilya Tanenglian.

Isinalaysay rin ni Sollano ang isang insidente kung saan dinala siya nina Aleta at Fayette sa isang kuwarto kung saan siya kinunan ng larawan na nakahubad.

Ayon pa kay Sollano, binuhusan ni Fayette ng mainit na tubig ang kanyang mga kamay matapos mahuling kinakain ang pagkain ng amo. Sa isa pang insidente, ikinadena umano ng mga amo ang kanyang mga kamay at leeg.

Source:
Police Files
Setyembre 1, 2009
Page 2

CHR pasok sa inabusong katulong

Iimbestigahan ng Commission on Human Rights ang umano’y pisikal at mental na pang-aabuso ng Chinese billionaire na si Mariano Tanenglian sa kanyang kasambahay.

Pag-aaralan din ng CHR kung hihilingin sa Bureau of Immigration (BI) na maglabas ito ng hold-departure order laban sa suspect, ayon kay Atty. Carmelita Rosete, pinuno ng CHR Protection and Monitoring Division. Ayon kay Rosete, sinisilip ng CHR ang anggulong paglabag sa karapatang pambata at child trafficking sa kaso ni Mary Jane Sollano, na nailigtas sa tahanan ni Tanenglian ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng CHR, Department of Social Welfare and Development at Quezon City Police District.

Ipinaliwanag ni Rosete na menor-de-edad pa lang si Sollano nang una itong kunin bilang katulong. Nang masagip, puro paltos ang mga kamay ni Sollano dahil sa mainit na tubig na ibinuhos ni Tanenglian. Nagsampa na si Sollano ng kasong kriminal na maltreatment, serious illegal detention, slavery at frustrated homicide sa Department of Justice (DOJ) laban kay Tanenglian, sa asawa at mga anak na sina Maximillian at Fayette.

Idinetalye ni Sollano kung paano umano siya dumanas ng pisikal at mental na pang-aabuso mula sa pamilya Tanenglian sa kanilang tahanan sa Bgy. Siena sa Quezon City mula July 2004 hanggang Aug. 10 ng taong ito.

Ayon kay Sollano, pinagbawalan siya at iba pang kasambahay na gumamit ng telepono, cellphone, tumawa, maupo sa mga upuan ng pamilya, tumingin sa labas ng bintana, manood ng TV, kuamin ng anumang oras, matulog at magpahinga.

Source:
Bansa Ngayon
Pilipino Star Ngayon
Setyembre 1, 2009
Page 2

CHR to probe maid’s complaint vs Lucio Tan’s brod

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will conduct a thorough investigation on the alleged physical and mental abuse committed by Chinese billionaire Mariano Tanenglian against his housemaid of five years.

During the course of the investigation, the CHR said, it will also study whether it can recommend from the Justice Department and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for the issuance of a hold-departure order (HDO) against the suspect, according to Atty. Carmelita Rosete, head of CHR Protection and Monitoring Division.

Rosete said the CHR is looking into the possible violation of child abuse law and commission of child trafficking on the case of Mary Jane Sollano, who was rescued from Tanenglian’s residence by a joint team of CHR, Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Quezon City Police District recently.

“Sollano was a minor when she was recruited five years ago,” Rosete explained. At the time of her rescue, Sollano’s hands were badly scalded due to the hot water allegedly poured on her by Tanenglian.

Sollano filed criminal charges of maltreatment, serious illegal detention, slavery and frustrated homicide before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Tanenglian, his wife Aleta, as well as children Maximillian and Fayette.

In a three-page affidavit, Sollano detailed how she was allegedly “physically and mentally abused” by the Tanenglian family inside their residence in Bgy. Siena in Quezon City from July up to Aug. 10, 2004.

The maid claimed she and her fellow helpers were “not allowed to use the telephone or cellphone, laugh, sit on their (family’s) chairs, look outside the window, watch TV, eat at any time, sleep or rest before our tasks were completed, and read any reading material or even write.”

During her first month at the Tanenglian household, Sollano alleged she was already maltreated and abused by the Tanenglians. “I was not yet familiar with my job so Ate Aleta got mad and slapped me. Since then, they would instantly hurt me for every small mistake I make,” she said. “In my five-year stay in their house, I was not allowed to go out. They even threatened me that they would do something bad if I ask for help from outside.”

Sollano said she tried to escape by asking permission to go home to her province in Zamboanga del Sur, but her employers would not allow her. She was told that she had to finish her two-year contract.

When her contract ended in 2006, Aleta supposedly called a lawyer and told the housemaid to sign a new contract without reading its contents. She only learned later on that she signed the new contract for another two years service in the house.

Sollano added that she pleaded to her employer to let her go, but Aleta said she still had debts to pay.

“I could not do anything but to just follow (them),” she lamented.

She even recalled an instance where she was brought by Aleta and Fayette to a room where they tool nude photos of her.

“When they were not yet satisfied, they would hit me with steel or slippers and threaten me that they would show my nude photos to other people or bring me to a nightclub owned by Ate Aleta’s friend,” she alleged.

Sollano said Fayette once poured hot water on her hands after she was caught eating their food. In another incident, her hands and neck were supposedly chained.

Attached with the complaint were affidavits from police, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Social Welfare and Development as well as other persons present during the rescue of the housemaid.

Source:
People's Tonight
September 1, 2009
Page 6