Over 200 babies died at Sitio Kapihan, says Hontiveros

Senator Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday that more than 200 children aged 0-4 have died at Sitio Kapihan, Socorro, Surigao del Norte, which is inhabited by members of Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI).

During the continuation of the Senate investigation into the alleged rape, sexual abuse, trafficking, forced labor, and child marriage in the Socorro “cult,” Hontiveros showed a list of babies who died at Sitio Kapihan allegedly after being prohibited by SBSI leaders to be brought in a hospital for healthcare.

“Ako po ay nagsaliksik pa ng mas malalim at pinagtanong-tanong ko kung sino-sino ba ang namatayan ng anak na sanggol sa Kapihan. I was shown this sheet of paper. Mr. Chair, napakadami nito. In fact, if our informants are to be believed, higit 200 ang namamatay na mga bata from the ages of newborn to 4 years old,” she said.

(I researched more into it and asked whose child died in Kapihan. I was shown this sheet of paper. Mr. Chair, there are plenty. In fact, if our informants are to be believed, more than 200 children died from the ages of newborn to 4 years old.)

“If this is true, why so many dead babies? Why are we allowing children to die? ‘Di ba natin inaalagaan ang mga sanggol sa Kapihan? ‘Di ba Padron po ninyo si Santo Niño, bakit nangangamatay ang mga Niño at Niña?”

(Don’t you take care of the babies in Kapihan? Isn't Santo Niño your patron? Why are the Niños and Niñas dying there?)

In October, several tombs of infants were discovered at Sitio Kapihan, upon inspection of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

One of those buried was a child born on December 14, 2021, who died three days later without being brought to a hospital. The child was buried near a basketball court but was transferred to the cemetery this year.

Together with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Dela Rosa ordered the exhumation of the remains of the child for investigation.

Hontiveros said she will ask the NBI regarding their findings on the exhumation.

“Kasi nakakabahala talaga. Kung hindi man pinatay na sadya, ay pinatay sa kapabayaan,” she said.

(This is really alarming. If the infants were not killed on purpose, then they were killed by negligence.)

Randolf Balbarino, father of one of the babies who died, narrated how he lost his child two days after his wife gave birth in December 2020 allegedly because SBSI leader Jey Rence Quilario or “Senior Agila” forbade bringing the infant to a hospital outside of Sitio Kapihan.

“‘Yung mga kumadrona doon, sinabihan ko na ilabas ko ang anak ko kasi parang agaw-buhay na ang bata. Sabi ng kumadrona na pinagbabawal kasi ni Senior Agila, wala tayong magawa,” he said.

(I told the midwives that I should take my child out because the child seemed to be dying. The midwives said that Senior Agila forbade it and there was nothing we could do.)

Quilario denied the allegation, saying he was not yet the president of SBSI in 2020.

Balbarino even claimed that Quilario, whom SBSI members consider as a “doctor” in Sitio Kapihan, performed an internal examination on his wife.

“For the record, sinabi ng asawa mo na si Senior Agila, nag-conudct ng IE sa kanya? Meaning, ‘yung kamay ni Senior Agila, ipinasok doon sa ari ng asawa mo para malaman ung ano ang distance ng ulo ng bata or part of the body of the infant sa loob, para malaman ang distance gano’n. ‘Yan ang purpose ng IE 'di ba? Siya ang mismong gumawa?” Dela Rosa asked in surprise, to which Balbarino affirmed.

(For the record, your wife said that Senior Agila conducted an IE on her? Meaning, Senior Agila inserted his hand into your wife’s private part to find out the distance of the child's head or part of the body of the infant inside the womb? He did it himself?)

Quilario also denied the allegation. He said that Balbarino’s wife should be personally asked to know the truth.

“Hindi, hindi kasi hindi ako marunong niyan. Wala akong alam sa sinasabi niya (No. I don't know how to do that. I don't know what he is saying),” he said.

Hontiveros, for her part, said that Quilario may face other cases if the claim was proven true.

“Kapag napatunayan ‘yan na ganyang pagpasok ng bahagi ng katawan sa bahagi ng katawan ng ibang tao na walang pagpapayag, sakop pa ‘yan ng ibang batas, Mr. Chair, bukod pa sa ibang iniimbestigahan nating marami,” she said.

(When it is proven that a body part of a person enters another person's body part without consent, that is covered by another law, Mr. Chair, apart from the many others we are investigating.)

A Senate committee in September cited Quilario, along with Mamerto Galanida, Janeth Ajoc, and Karren Sanico in contempt after repeatedly denying that child marriages took place in the Surigao del Norte-based group despite testimonies by victims.—AOL, GMA Integrated News