Former Philippine ambassador to Brazil Marichu Mauro apologized on Wednesday, March 3, for hurting her household helper whom she said she considered as a sister.
(PNA / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The former official admitted that she was not able to control herself and she knew that what she did to her maid was wrong.
“I know it was wrong. It was really wrong. And I will ask for forgiveness. I am deeply remorseful of what happened," she said in a report on GMA News “24 Oras” on Wednesday.
On Monday, March 1, President Duterte announced that he has signed the dismissal of Mauro for the alleged abuse of her household help.
Mauro was ordered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to return to the country in October, 2020 after a CCTV video of her assaulting her maid appeared in several reports.
In a compilation of videos obtained by Brazilian media outlet GloboNews, Mauro was seen pulling the maid's hair and ears, and throwing objects at her.
Mauro, meanwhile, said she knew that there was CCTV at her place in Brazil.
“What the public doesn’t know is that there were family dynamics involved. It is this familiarity that caused me to cross the boundaries that I would never cross," she said.
Mauro also mentioned that one of the possible reasons she did that was because of the stress and anxiety brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So nagawa ko ‘yun and I deeply, deeply regretted my behavior. May mga wrongdoings tayo sa buhay natin. Wala naman sa ating perpekto. But pinagsisihan ko ‘yun. I regretted my behavior (So I did that and I deeply, deeply regretted my behavior. We have wrongdoings in our lives. None of us are perfect. But I regret that. I regretted my behavior), ” she said.
Mauro, however, said she knew that there was no other way to justify what she had done. “Humihingi ako ng tawad sa inyong lahat. I have made amends already. I regretted my behavior (I apologize to all of you. I have made amends already. I regretted my behavior),” she said.
She appealed to the public not to judge her even after the incident.
On Monday, Mauro said she felt betrayed by the manner by which the investigating panel of the DFA “mishandled” her case.
Read more: Ex-PH envoy to Brazil saddened by her dismissal, blames DFA for ‘railroading’ her case