France and Pablo “Jerry” Ruiz, former employers of househelp Elvie Vergara, who alleged years of abuse, have been detained together in the Senate detention area. The Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee found that Jerry had provided false testimonies regarding their treatment of Elvie and other former household workers.
The decision to detain the Ruiz couple was prompted by the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) report on the results of polygraph tests conducted on them. The NBI’s report indicated that the responses of both France and Jerry Ruiz during the lie detector tests were “indicative of deceptions.”
During the hearing, Senator Francis Tolentino, the panel chairman, emphasized the potential value of polygraph tests in assessing truthfulness, though he acknowledged that the results are not determinative on their own.
The NBI’s Polygraph Examiner Eddie Betervo explained that “indicative of deceptions” meant that the subject was lying when answering certain questions during the test.
NBI Assistant Director Romel Papa of the Forensic and Scientific Research Service emphasized the reliability of polygraph test results, as they measure physiological responses like heart rate and blood pressure, which are uncontrollable when someone is being deceptive.
Upon the recommendation of Senator Raffy Tulfo, Jerry was cited for contempt and subsequently detained in the Senate. The motion was seconded by Senator Jinggoy Estrada and approved by the panel chairman, Senator Francis Tolentino.
The Ruiz couple’s lawyer, Atty. Lorman Arugay, appealed the decision, citing the need for at least one of the parents to remain with their two children aged 18 and 16. However, Senator Estrada countered that the children could stay with their parents if they wished to.
The panel’s ruling remained, and the Ruiz couple was detained in the Senate.
During the hearing, it was revealed that the Ruiz couple faces allegations of violating their former househelp’s basic rights, illegal detention, causing serious physical injuries, violating the Anti-Human Trafficking Law, and breaching the Kasambahay Law. Possible additional charges against them may also follow.
Several former household workers who served the Ruiz household testified to witnessing instances of abuse, maltreatment, and mistreatment of Elvie and others. They reported verbal abuse, physical assault, and unpaid salaries. The Department of Labor and Employment is working to recover unpaid salaries and benefits for the workers.
The Senate hearing lasted around five hours and concluded with the detention of the Ruiz couple in the Senate. Senator Estrada expressed his intention to explore the possibility of filing a case against the Ruiz couple as a senator and vowed to keep them detained until a court order for release or until the end of the current Senate term.
