Children who are allegedly victims of Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) will remain in government custody, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Sunday.
Children that SBSI said should be allowed to appear before senators to debunk allegations against the group have yet to be cleared to testify, he added.
The organization based in Surigao del Norte is under investigation for reports of forced marriage involving minors and other alleged abuses.
In an interview on TeleRadyo Serbisyo, Dela Rosa said the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking will have custody of children who supposedly escaped from SBSI for now.
“I was informed by the (committee) Secretariat that Secretary Boying Remulla has signed off actions made by IACAT for the custody of the children,” he said, referring to the Department of Justice-led body.
At a Senate hearing this week, former Socorro mayor Mamerto Galanida appealed to senators dela Rosa and Risa Hontiveros to allow two child witnesses in the group’s defense.
The move was aimed at countering the allegations hurled against SBSI by at least three minors, who said they had been forced to marry at age 12, trained as a child soldier, and made to perform hard labor.
The children Galanida asked the Senate to let testify are still in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for evaluation, dela Rosa said.
In the same interview, Dela Rosa said Jey Rence Quilario, known to his followers as Señor Aguila, may just be a “dummy” for people acting as his advisers.
Dela Rosa, chair of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee, said he arrived at that conclusion because of testimonies of the alleged child victims and other former members of the SBSI.
Group leaders have maintained their innocence of allegations of child abuse, underage marriage and extortion.
Members of SBSI believe Quilario is the incarnation of the Holy Child Jesus and has divine powers.
Apart from Galanida, business owner Karren Sanico, and Sanico’s secretary Janeth Anoc have been identified as Quilario’s supposed advisers.
The Senate has detained the four SBSI figures for contempt.
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