Fiscal rules maid burned own face with flat iron

CEBU CITY — Can anybody dare to put a hot flat iron to his or her own face to mutilate it?

Apparently, to Cebu City prosecutors, somebody can.

That somebody is a 14-year-old maid whom city prosecutor Oscar Capacio said put a scorching hot flat iron to her own face in an act of self-mutilation.

In effect, Capacio dismissed the case filed by Carolina Avenido against Elvira Tangpuz, a City Hall employee for whom she had worked as a maid.

Avenido claimed that on Aug. 12 last year, Tangpuz, who works at the city assessor’s office, arrived from church with her two children while she was ironing clothes.

Tangpuz reportedly told the children to change clothes first before watching television but they ignored her.

But instead of scolding her own children, Tangpuz allegedly approached Avenido, grabbed the hot flat iron from her and pressed it on her face and arms.

Avenido alleged that Tangpuz had abused her on several occasions but that she kept the ordeal to herself.

Capacio, however, argued that it is against human nature not to report instances of abuse either to the police or to members of one’s own family.

Capacio found Tangpuz’s claim that Avenido’s wounds were self-inflicted more credible, thus he dismissed the maid’s complaint.

Tangpuz claimed that Avenido did so because she wanted to get back at her for having scolded her in the past.

Tangpuz’s version of the Aug. 12 incident, however, appeared to contradict that contention.

She recalled that Avenido had fallen asleep while ironing clothes and was startled when she and her children arrived, thus accidentally pressing the flat iron on her face and arms.

She claimed that they found the maid with burns on her face and arms when they entered the house.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo, who represents Avenido, said he will appeal Capacio’s resolution. — Freeman News Service