About 160 children rescued from alleged abuse in Pampanga orphanage

About 160 children in an orphanage in Mexico, Pampanga were rescued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from alleged maltreatment that include being tied up with a thick metal chain, locked inside the bathroom and not given food to eat.

According to JP Soriano’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the children told social workers that they were being abused by their house parents as well as the director of the orphanage.

“Sinasaktan daw sila ng kanilang mga house parent at nung pastor nung lugar…Nagpapunta kami ng mag social workers, who conducted a focused group discussion with the children and doon talaga na-validate, na-verify na sinasaktan talaga yung mga bata,” said Gatchalian.

(They reportedly experienced abuse from their house parents and the pastor. We sent social workers who conducted a focused group discussion with the children, and it was truly validated and verified there that the children were indeed being harmed.)

The orphanage is registered and authorized by the DSWD to care for abandoned children.

However, the DSWD chief found out that the children in the have experienced various kinds of physical abuse.

“Ang mga iba’t-ibang klaseng kwento ng pananakit ranges from ginapos ng gamit ng kadenang makakapal,  pinaluhod sa graba, pinaluhod sa asin na may bato, pinalo ng yantok na ginagamit sa arnis, pinalo ng PVC pipe, kinulong sa kubeta, hindi pinapakain,” said Gatchalian.

(The various stories of abuse range from being tied with thick metal chains, forced to kneel on gravel, forced to kneel on salt with rocks, beaten with an arnis stick, beaten with a PVC pipe, locked in the comfort room, and deprived of food.)

In the report of JP Soriano, the children themselves confirmed the hardships they had to endure while inside the institution that was supposed to take care of them.

“Parang kadena po ng aso, ganoon,” one children shared.

(It’s like a dog chain.)

One said that he was chained up because he tried to escape the orphanage.

“Yung sa paa po, tatlo po kami,” he said, adding that the chains used on them were thicker than the chains used on dogs.

(They tied the three of us in the legs.)

The DSWD Field Office Central Luzon turned the children over to another DSWD facility in Lubao to undergo counseling. Social workers are currently processing and reviewing their profiles to check on which center could take care of them, the report said.

Meanwhile, an American pastor, who serves as the director of the orphanage, is facing charges for violation of the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.

“Wala naman katotohanan sa allegation, ayun lang po. Kung gusto niyo ng buong comment ko, willing ko sabihin ang mahabang comment,” the pastor said.

(The allegations are not true. If you want my full comment, I can give you a longer one.)

The police said it will coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration.

“Upon our arrest, we have to make a report sa Bureau of Immigration para sa record check ng foreign national. Since foreign national, may separate report kaming isa-submit, paticularly sa Bureau of Immigration,” said Mexico Pampanga Police chief Police Lt. Col. Pearl Joy Gollayan.

(Upon our arrest, we have to make a report to the Bureau of Immigration to check the record of the foreign national. Since he is a foreign national, we will submit a separate report particularly to the Bureau of Immigration.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News