By Vir B. LumicaoA Filipina domestic worker who ran away from her employer early last month flew home to her family on Jan 19, soon after her boss freed her of a liability to pay him a month’s wage for terminating her employment prematurely.
Dianne Caranzo told The SUN on the eve of her departure that she and her employer settled their dispute in a meeting at the Labour Department on Jan 17.
“Hindi na po pinabayaran ni Sir sa akin ang dating sinisingil na katumbas ng sahod ko sa isang buwan para makuha ko ang aking luggage,” Caranzo said.
She said she went back to the home of her employer after the meeting to retrieve her luggage.
On Jan 18, Caranzo picked up her plane ticket from Rising Sun Employment Agency, which deployed her to the employer’s household in late October last year.
Caranzo was reportedly accompanied to the meeting by a Philippine Overseas Labor Office staff. Her employer, said to be a retired police officer, was escorted by the agency owner.
According to an officer of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the employer was originally willing to let go off the helper without demanding payment.
But he was allegedly irked when he received a letter from the Immigration Department informing him that his helper had filed a complaint accusing him of violating her labor rights.
“He said he got mad because the complaint at the Immigration would tarnish his reputation,” the OWWA officer said.
To resolve the issue, the employer asked Caranzo to sign a waiver stating that she was withdrawing the complaint against him.
Caranzo said that the complaint was, in fact, filed on her behalf by a certain Pastor Jonathan Lalaan who told her that he was a trial court employee and that he could take up her case with the Immigration.
Caranzo had no regrets coming to Hong Kong, saying it was her dream to work abroad but it just so happened she had an unhappy experience.
“Ito ang dream ko, ito ang gusto ko para sa pamilya. Gusto kong makatulong sa mister ko, para mapag-aral ang mga anak ko,” she said.
Caranzo said that before coming to Hong Kong, she had applied for jobs in Korea, Dubai and Malaysia but had been duped by recruiters.
