After conducting an ocular inspection and personally speaking with residents, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said on Monday, Oct. 16 that he is prepared to call the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) a cult.
"Talagang lumalabas na kulto ito (It really shows that this is a cult). By all definitions, by all elements of a cult andoon makikita mo sa SBSI (you will see it with SBSI)," Dela Rosa said in an interview.
The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, visited SBSI over the weekend as part of his committee's continuing investigation regarding the irregularities and allegations against the group and its leaders.
In calling SBSI a "cult", Dela Rosa cited their strict reverence to a single personality, which in this case, refers to its leader Jey Rence Quilario also known as "Senyor Agila.” He also mentioned Quilario's alleged healing powers which made the members SBSI believe and follow him.
Dela Rosa also cited the strict adherence to whatever orders are given to the members wherein he observed that all of the women are short-haired, especially their rehearsed answers to questions inclined towards shielding Quilaro against any possible lawsuits or legal complications.
On the other hand, Dela Rosa pointed out that the key to dismantling the Socorro cult lies with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). During the first hearing on the issue, DENR stated that it has suspended the Proposed Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement (PACBRMA) of SBSI.
This suspends SBSI's privileges and rights as a PACBRMA holder. Its PACBRMA was canceled earlier. DENR has explained that a PACBRMA is a tenurial instrument that they give tenured migrants in protected areas, mostly to give them a chance at livelihood.
"There was no condition there that you can live in the area unless you're a tenured migrant and it is proven that we have a list of registered tenured migrants in the specific area where the PACBRMA is," he said.
DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga said before that she would meet with DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to discuss the fate of the 3,000 residents who live in the mountainous area of Socorro including more than 1,000 children.
Currently, Quilario along with other SBSI leaders namely Janeth Ajoc, Mamerto Galanida, and Karren Sanico are detained at the Senate after they were cited in contempt for repeatedly denying the alleged existence of child marriages in their community.