Senate committee cites Socorro ‘cult’ leader, 3 others in contempt

Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. leader Jey Rence Quilario alias Senior Agila and three others were cited in contempt by the Senate committee during a public hearing on Thursday.

Senator Risa Hontiveros made the motion after Quilario and the others repeatedly denied that forced marriages of minors happened and were facilitated by the Socorro Bayanihan Service Inc. despite the testimonies of child witnesses present at the hearing.

"I respectfully move to cite in contempt Jey Rence Quilaro, Mamerto Galanida, Janeth Ajoc and Karren Sanico," Hontiveros said.

With no objection from the members of the committee, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, ordered the detention of the four individuals at the Senate premises.

Speaking at the hearing, a member of the alleged cult group, alias Jane, narrated how she was forced to marry a fellow member at the age of 14.

Jane directly pointed to Quilario as the one who chose her 18-year-old husband. She added they were forced to have sex after being married, or they would be accused of disobeying God.

Jane likewise said her mother, despite being married to her father, was forced to marry another member.

She said she decided to run away from the village due to the unwanted marriage and forced labor she had experienced throughout her stay in Sitio Kapihan under Quilario's leadership.

Another member, Lovely Novie Savandal, also narrated how her 12-year-old sister was forced to marry someone she didn't know personally.

Savandal said Quilario was forcing every married couple to have sexual intercourse under pain of punishment.

Quilario denied that forced marriages were happening in their group.  "Hindi po, hindi po nangyayari (no, that did not happen)," he said.

Ajoc also denied that there were child marriages, although a witness in the hearing earlier said that Ajoc's own child was among those who were married at the age of 12.

Galanida, meanwhile, said he was not aware of such happenings.

"I do not know anything about mayroong ganyang nangyayari sa Kapihan… Walang child marriages kasi po kung meron man, meron dapat 'yung parents mismo 'yung magko-complain," he said.

The panel's investigation came after Hontiveros filed Proposed Senate Resolution 797 seeking a Senate investigation into the cases of rape, sexual abuse, forced labor and child marriage allegedly perpetrated by the group.

Dela Rosa also introduced Senate Resolution 796, which aims to look into the alleged presence and operation of a shabu laboratory and a heavily armed private army at the group's premises in Surigao del Norte.