A Senate panel has cited in contempt four members of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) or the so-called Socorro "cult" including its President or leader Jey Rence Quilario also known as "Senior Agila" after consistently denying the existence of child marriage in their community.
This was even after various witnesses, including a minor who was actually involved in the forced child marriage testified during the hearing of the joint Senate Committees on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and Women and Children.
Those cited in contempt were Quilario, Janeth Ajoc, Mamerto Galanida, and Karren Sanico. All four denied the existence of forced child marriage in SBSI. One of the witnesses, Jeng Plaza, a former member of the Quilario's elite army, said that these four are the ones responsible for making decisions in the community including those who should be wed.
"Di kukulang sa apat na witnesses ang aattest dito sa child marriages sa Kapihan kasama na po yung actual party to the marriage (There are at least four witnesses who can attest to these child marriages in Kapihan including someone who was actually party to a marriage)," Sen. Risa Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros even presented a Family Planning Form given to the children who were married for them to fill up. The young women, the senator said, are placed with implants in relation to this.
Galanida was the one Hontiveros mentioned in her privilege speech last week who allegedly groomed Quilario to be the next Messiah” and the “new Jesus". He was a three-term Socorro Mayor and former board member. According to him, as far as he knows there's no child marriages in the community. If such marriages were occurring, the parents themselves would have complained about it, he said.
"Parang ayaw lang sabihin ni Mr. Galanida na no pero di rin sila umaamin ng yes (It looks like Mr. Galanida doesn't want to say no, but he also doesn't want to say yes)," Hontiveros said.
"Sa simpleng tanong ko, hindi po makapagbigay ng simple at diretsong sagot si Mr. Galanida (To my simple question, Mr. Galanida can't even give a simple and straight answer)," she added.
Ajoc who also denied such ceremonies, according to the witnesses, also permitted her daughter who was also a minor to get married, even telling those who complained that if her kid did it, the others should too.
During the hearing, of the witnesses, alias "Jane" a 15-year-old escapee of the cult, stated that she was forced to marry an 18-year-old stranger when she was 14 years old. In a ceremony led by Quilario he will wed the two and tell the husband in a marriage counselling session that he has authority to have sexual intercourse or even rape his spouse within three days or else they will face damnation.
Her parents allowed this, stating that under Quilario, this was the law in order to get to heaven.
A former member of Quilario's elite army, Mark Virgil Gelsano supported Jane's claim and stated that even his sister who was only 12 years old was also married. He said he bore witness to these incidents since he was in charge of security during these ceremonies.
The said members of SBSI will be under the custody of the Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA).