Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, September 25 thumbed down the call of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) to conduct its investigation into the alleged child sexual abuse at the Sitio Kapihan in Surigao Del Norte where leaders and members of the religious group are currently residing. 

Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Senate PRIB Photo)

Hontiveros, who earlier called for a Senate probe into the allegations against its senior leader Jey Rence Quilario alias “Senyor Agila,” said it would be best for the SBSI leaders to face the Senate investigation personally. 

“Ang puno't dulo ng issue ay child sexual abuse, pagwalang bahala sa karapatan ng mga kababaihan at ng kanilang pamilya. Ang boses na mahalaga sa mga issue na ito ay ang mga biktima-survivors (The issue here is child sexual abuse, disregarding the rights of the women and their families. The voices of the victim-survivors is what is important here),” Hontiveros said. 

“Si Jey Rence ay pinatawag sa Senado kaya siya ang dapat pumunta ng Senado, gaya ng iba din na pinatawag namin sa Senado para harapin ang mga lehitimong mga issue (Jey Rence has been summoned by the Senate, that’s why he must appear here in the Senate, the same way the others have appeared here because they were called by the Senate to come to face a very legitimate issue),” she stressed. 

Among the many allegations Quilario has to face is the victim-survivors claim that the cult not only abuse children but also deprive the members proper healthcare and collected government cash aid from them.

According to the senator, one of the survivor, a 33-year-old mother named Vivian, told her office that when she was pregnant, she was not allowed by the cult to access prenatal services, vitamins, and other medical needs. 

 

Vivian, she said, gave birth to the cult community’s so-called “Function Hall” where a non-licensed personnel, a former barangay health worker and undergraduate medical student attended to her needs. 

At two months old, her child needed medical emergency care because he lacked the required immunization and nearly died. 

According to the survivor, it was also “Senyor Agila” who performed circumcision on her two month old baby, who then suffered urinary tract infection (UTI).

Another victim, Elena, a 33 year old former public school teacher, was also convinced to join the cult after Socorro was hit by Typhoon Odette. 

According to Elena, beneficiarires of the government’s Social Assistance Program (SAP) were all then requird to surrender 40-60 percent of the cash aid to the cult even though they all had difficulty recovering from the disaster.

Some survivors also corroborated claims that the leaders of the cult, particularly Quilario, have taken advantage of the vulnerabilities of the community members. 

“In the upcoming hearing, we will be hearing more stories from survivors who suffered at the hands of Senior Agila,” Hontiveros said.

“This cult has a lot to answer for. Titiyakin nating mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga kababayan nating sinaktan at inalipusta nila (We will make sure that justice will be given to our citizens whom they abused and mistreated),” she said. 

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality has scheduled the Senate probe on Thursday, September 29.