Dela Rosa: ‘Hindi pwedeng magsinungaling ang mga bata’

Several underage members of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Incorporated on Thursday narrated how they were forced to marry and have sexual intercourse with adults as well as locked up within their mountainous community at Sitio Kapihan, Barangay Sering, in Socorro town, Surigao del Norte.

In a media interview, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa admitted that he believed the statements of several child witnesses attended the Senate's public investigation on the alleged cases of rape, sexual abuse, forced labor, and child marriage perpetrated by the Socorro-based group against their young members.

"Hindi pwedeng magsinungaling ang mga bata. Nakikita ko Iyan. Sabihin mong biased ako sa mga bata pero naniniwala (Children can't lie. I see that. You may say I'm biased to children but I believe them)," said Dela Rosa.

During the joint investigation by the Senate committees on women and children, and public order and dangerous drugs on Thursday, 15-year-old Jane, not her real name, said she was coerced to marry an 18-year-old man she never met before. She said it was "Senyor Agila" whose real name is Jey Rence Quilario, the SBSI leader, who ordered and facilitated her marriage.

She added that Quilario forced her to immediately sleep and have sex with her new husband so can "go to heaven."

Lovely Novie Savandal, also a member, emotionally shared that her 12-year-old sister was compelled to marry someone she didn't know personally.

Savandal said the Quilario was forcing every married couple to have sexual intercourse, if not, they will be punished.

Dela Rosa grilled Quilario after Savandal recalled her sister's experiences.

"Bakit gustong gusto mong mag sex ang mag asawa? Bata, 12 years old? Pipilitin mong makipag sex sa lalaking hindi niya kagustuhan. Kinasal mo na, tapos sisiguraduhin mo pa na sila ay mag sex. Tapos kapag hindi mag sex, pina-punish mo 'yung bata (Why do you want the couple to have sex? A child, 12 years old, [then] you will force her to have sex with a man. You already had them married. Then you still want to make sure they have sex. And when they don't, you punish the child)," he asked the SBSI leader,

Despite revelations from the witnesses, Quilario denied every allegation and claimed he could not do such a thing.

"Hindi po 'yan totoo. Hindi ko po magagawa (There is no truth to that. I cannot do that)," he said.

During the opening of the panel's hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that managed to recruit 3,650, including 1,587 minors.

"Sabi po ng liderato ng SBSI sa mga interviews, parang normal subdivision lang daw ang [Sitio] Kapihan. Ewan ko lang, pero sa subdivision namin, 'di nila nire-require ang iisang gupit para sa mga babae, 'di po inilibing sa ilalim ng lupa ang mga cellphone ng mga dalaga at binata," she said.

Hontiveros earlier revealed that SBSI conducted cult practices including rape, human trafficking, and even punishing disobedient members to swim in human feces.

She said some SBSI members were ordered to wear the same haircut and had their cellphones buried underground. They are even forced to drop out of school.

Meanwhile, Commission on Human Rights Director Jasmin Navarro-Regino said SBSI is now being subjected to several human rights violations after hearing the testimonies of witnesses during Thursday's Senate hearing on SBSI's suspected cult activities.

Regino said the CHR has already conducted its initial investigation, conducted by a five-member team in Sitio Kapihan.

"We found out initially, based on interviews with children, [that] there was forced marriage…There was a violation of the right to access education, and likewise, there's a violation of the freedom of movement of these people," she said.

"We will submit our initial investigation report because it is based on many violations," she added.