Woman mulls lawsuit vs employment agency

MANILA, Philippines - A housewife who allegedly lost P3.5 million in cash and valuables to a maid last week is planning to file criminal charges against the employment agency who recommended the maid.

Delia Sato, 52, said she was “so disappointed” to find out that 5 Star Employment Services who endorsed the maid “did not conduct a background check” on the maid claiming to be Stella Marie Serano Velez, 27.

“It’s their obligation to background check the applicants. That’s why we are paying them to ensure that we will get good service, they even deduct money from the maid’s salary,” Sato told The STAR.

In a phone interview with The STAR, agency secretary Richard Felicia admitted that Velez was not subjected to a background check because she worked “for us two years ago and received a good endorsement from her employer. So when she submitted her application form, I hired her.”

Felicia added that they cannot be held liable because under the contract, which Sato signed, the agency “is not liable for any felonious acts of the employees nor for stolen items impugned on the employee.”

Sato said she will exhaust all the legal remedies possible to hold Velez and the agency responsible.

Sato alleged that Velez stole P450,000 cash, pieces of jewelry, branded wristwatches and bags, and her daughter’s laptop when she went at a salon near their house on May 17.

She said they lost Sato reported to the police, but investigators discovered that “all the pieces of information which Velez provided were fictitious,” said Senior Police Officer 4 Charlie Bayoca, head of Parañaque police theft and robbery division.

Sato added that they checked one address in Muntinlupa that Velez provided, and learned that “I’m not the only person looking for this woman. They told me that there were people also looking for this fair-skinned and chubby woman.”