Bato: Ocular in Socorro aimed at producing credible report on alleged 'cult' abuses

A joint Senate committee will conduct an ocular at Sitio Kapihan, Socorro, Surigao del Norte to “produce a very credible committee report,” Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said Friday.

Dela Rosa’s office shared a notice of the ocular inspection which is scheduled on October 14.

“[We will conduct an ocular inspection] to see for ourselves the real situation in the area. We cannot just produce a very credible committee report without having an actual, real time grasp of the area,” Dela Rosa said in a phone interview.

Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee, is leading the Senate probe into the alleged abuses happening in the area.

Jointly conducting the probe is the Senate Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality panel headed by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros.

Dela Rosa said they will try to speak to the people living at Sitio Kapihan to find out what’s really going on in the area.

So far, Dela Rosa said they will be joined by Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator Francis Tolentino.

Hontiveros, who brought the issue to the Senate plenary, will be sending her staff members, Dela Rosa said.

After the ocular inspection, Dela Rosa said they will conduct another hearing on the issue.

The joint Senate panel is looking into the alleged operation of a shabu laboratory in the province, alleged systematic rape, sexual abuse, trafficking, forced labor, and child marriage involving the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc.

During the recent hearing, senators cited SBSI leader and alleged cult leader Jey Rence Quilario, or Senior Agila, and three others for contempt.

It was Hontiveros who made the motion during the hearing after Quilario and the others repeatedly denied that child marriages took place in the Surigao del Norte-based group despite testimonies by the alleged victims.

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

No member of the committee objected to Hontiveros' motion, prompting Dela Rosa, the committee chairperson, to order the detention of the four within the  Senate premises. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News