Aid urged for Senior Agila's 'victims' after DENR revokes land deal

Senator Risa Hontiveros is calling on the government to look after the welfare of the "victims" of the supposed cult in Socorro, Surigao del Norte after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) revoked its agreement with Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) in managing a part of a protected area in the town.

"Dapat magtulong-tulong ang ating mga ahensiya, kasama ang lokal na pamahalaan ng Socorro at Surigao del Norte, para mapangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga mamamayan ng Kapihan," Hontiveros said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Mga biktima din sila ng kahirapan na napilitang kumapit sa mga pangako’t panloloko ni Senior Agila," she pointed out.

(Government agencies, together with the local governments of Socorro and Surigao del Norte, should work together to protect the welfare of the residents of Kapihan. They're victims of poverty who was fooled by Senior Agila's false promises.)

Hontiveros was referring to SBSI president Jey Rence Quilario alias Senior Agila, who was allegedly involved in  rape, sexual abuse, forced labor, and forced marriage of minors within SBSI.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has already filed qualified trafficking in persons, facilitation of child marriage, solemnization of child marriage, and child abuse charges against Quilario and several other individuals.

Hontiveros, who sought the Senate investigation into the alleged abuses within the Socorro group, reiterated that the state must "ensure that every member of [Sitio] Kapihan can live a life with dignity."

She likewise called on the members of the SBSI to cooperate with the authorities in light of the recent developments.

"We only wish for them to live in safety, freedom, and genuine peace," Hontiveros said.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who led the investigation into the allegations against the SBSI, welcomed the latest decision of the DENR, saying this would prompt "the cult members" to be relocated.

This, he added, would "eventually lead to its disbandment and it will save the minors from abuse."

Meanwhile, Senator Cynthia Villar has also made the same call as Hontiveros and hoped that the affected individuals can begin rebuilding their lives with the government's support.

"[W]e support efforts to find suitable relocation options for the victims of the cult. It is encouraging that government agencies like the DSWD, DOLE, and the LGU-Province of Surigao del Norte are providing assistance," Villar said.

She also highlighted the importance of strict enforcement of agreements involving protected areas in the country, adding that the cancellation of the land use deal with SBSI should have already been done in the past.

"The cancellation of the PACBRMA with Socorro Bayanihan Services was a long-overdue action, given the flagrant violations of the said agreement. If DENR had maintained a closer watch and had an efficient system in place for monitoring our protected areas and the agreements with tenured migrants, the problem with the cult growing out of control might not have even begun," Villar added.

The SBSI — an organization with 3,560 members including 1,587 children — is based in an enclosed and heavily guarded area in a mountain of Sitio Kapihan in Socorro town. Its officials have repeatedly denied the allegations raised against the organization. —Hana Bordey/KBK/ VAL, GMA Integrated News