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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Worse than expected': Child marriage, irregularities abound in Socorro 'cult'--Hontiveros

'Worse than expected': Child marriage, irregularities abound in Socorro 'cult'--Hontiveros

Published Oct 14, 2023 08:56 am

At A Glance

  • Senator Risa Hontiveros said that the irregularities they observed in Sitio Kapihan, where the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) or the so-called Socorro "cult" was based, were worse than they expected. 

Senator Risa Hontiveros said that the irregularities they observed in Sitio Kapihan, where the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) or the so-called Socorro "cult" was based, were worse than they expected.

This was after her staff together with the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs led an inspection in Sitio Kapihan on Saturday, Oct. 14.

She disclosed that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recorded no less than 22 child marriages inside Sitio Kapihan which unfortunately led to the young girls getting pregnant. Hontiveros says that a full investigation on the condition of the children born out of child marriages is forthcoming.

The senator also mentioned the absence of lists and record-keeping in SBSI regarding those who died inside Sitio Kapihan, including the location of where they were buried as well as their cause of death.

"Malinaw na paglabag iyan sa mga batas gaya ng Code on Sanitation (Presidential Decree No. 856). Hirap tuloy ang mga kaanak ng mga pumanaw na hanapin ang huling hantungan ng kanilang mahal sa buhay (This is a clear violation of the Code on Sanitation. The relatives are having a hard time locating the graves of their loved ones)," she added.

Hontiveros also pointed out the huge possibility of identity theft in relation to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) due to the lack of basic official documents of those who are residing inside Sitio Kapihan.


"Sa susunod na hearing namin sa Senado, dapat ipaliwanag nila Senyor Agila at ng liderato ng SBSI ang mga lumalabas na iregularidad na ito sa loob ng Sitio Kapihan (In our next hearing on Saturday in the Senate, Senyor Agila and the leaders of SBSI must explain the irregularities inside Sitio Kapihan)," Hontiveros said.

She added that she hopes the DSWD, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Housing Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD) as well as other government agencies would assist in the integration of the SBSI members back to mainstream society.

"Mula sa pabahay, sa hanapbuhay, hanggang sa edukasyon ng mga kabataang natigil sa pag-aaral, sana ay maihatid natin ang tulong na kailangan ng mga kababayan natin sa Sitio Kapihan (From housing to jobs up to education of the students who had to stop studying, hopefully we can provide the necessary help the citizens of Sitio Kapihan need)," Hontiveros stated.

Related Tags

Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Senator Risa Hontiveros Socorro Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI)
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