PNP dispatches specialists after girl’s plea to PBBM

Specialized units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been deployed to Camarines Sur after an 11-year-old girl wrote a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pleading for protection from an allegedly abusive barangay official.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Wednesday that a team from the Women and Children’s Protection Center is investigating the claims and gathering evidence for potential criminal charges against a local kagawad

The move follows a directive from Marcos, who said the child’s letter moved him to tears and made him “very angry.” The President vowed to provide police security to ensure the girl and her sisters can safely continue their education.

In her 30 March letter, the girl — a resident of the Redeemer Homeless Mission in Tinambac — alleged she was raped by the son and an aide of a local official.

She also detailed a pattern of threats and harassment against children in their community, saying they were being victimized despite having no involvement in politics.

Police investigators who conducted on-site verification in Barangay Caloco confirmed that a rape case related to the girl’s allegations was filed in 2023. Nartatez cited that the accused in that specific case is already in detention at the Tinangis Penal Farm while awaiting trial.

However, the PNP is expanding the probe to address the girl’s newer claims of ongoing harassment and community safety issues. Investigators from the Tinambac Municipal Police and the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Unit have begun interviewing the victim’s family and local officials.

“The President’s order is clear: no one is above the law, regardless of their position in the government,” Nartatez said.

Meantime, the PNP chief praised the girl’s bravery and urged other victims in the community to come forward.

He stressed that the police would serve as a “shield” for those exploited by people in power and promised that all concerns involving minors would be handled with urgency.

Marcos previously assured the child of continued government support, stating that authorities would find anyone who has harmed the children and hold them accountable.