Gentle Hands accused of hurting children; center says kids allege coaching by DSWD

Accusations of corporal punishment by the personnel of Gentle Hands Incorporated (GHI) and allegations of forcing children from GHI to state false testimonies against the orphanage were unearthed in a Senate hearing on Thursday.

These allegations were disclosed during the continuation of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality’s  investigation into the cease and desist order of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) against the GHI.

National Authority for Child Care Executive Director Janella Estrada presented a video taken on October 25, in which they asked the children if they were being physically hurt during their stay at the GHI.

Several kids testified that they were hit by a slipper, spanked, punched, and had their hair were pulled by a “Kuya Eddie” every time GHI executive director Charity Graff reported them to the helper.

“Pag di kaya ni Mom Charity nagsusumbong siya kay Kuya Eddie, pag wala sa mood si Kuya Eddie pumupunta s'ya. Sino yung sinumbong ni Mom sasaktan n'ya po,” a child was heard as saying in the video.

(If Mom Charity can't control us anymore, she asks help from Kuya Eddie. He would go to us and he would hurt the child that was mentioned by Mom.)

The children claimed that the big kids experienced being hurt by the helper and that all of them saw it.

They likewise said that Graff was fully aware of the punishments allegedly done by the GFI helper.

GHI legal counsel Karina Gay Balajadia-Liggayu said “Kuya Eddie” is in charge of the boys in the orphanage.

She said they were not aware of the incidents mentioned by the kids but admitted that there were one to two instances when the person mentioned punished the kids.

“I know of one or two incidents where the boys got into a scuffle and they hurt each other so badly that they were punished by Kuya Eddie, but only as far as probably a spank on the butt. But all of these allegations I have not heard of,” she said.

Liggayu said she will confront the person mentioned and verify the children’s statements, saying that GHI does not tolerate such actions.

She likewise refuted the claim that Graff was aware of the alleged corporal punishments against the children.

“No, your honor. I am sure that Charity is not aware of this kind of behavior because the two incidents that I’m mentioning, immediately after it happened, I was informed about it by Ms. Charity and told her that what Kuya Eddie is doing is not allowed so he has to stop right there and then. So those are only two incidents that I know of. Aside from that I’m not aware of any incidents,” she said.

Liggayu then presented a video which they took on May 27 this year where the kids claimed that the DSWD is making up stories so that they could keep custody of the children.

“They are trying to make stories so we cannot go back in the Gentle Hands,” a child was heard as saying in the video. “Like they are forcing some of the kids. ‘Are they hurting you in the Gentle Hands?’ They’re gonna say it again and again.”

Another kid was also heard as saying, “They’re gonna force us to say, ‘Is mom hurting you? Is ganyan ganyan hurting you?’ And we say no.”

In the video, the children were telling another GHI legal counsel, Tina Balajadia, that the question was being repeated around 10 times and she was informed that a kid had written a letter to DSWD.

“We keep saying, we want mom. She’s nice,” a kid said.

“We want to go back where we are supposed to be,” another child was heard saying.

According to Liggayu, the video was taken at the time when GHI personnel were not yet prohibited from visiting and interacting with the children in Nayon ng Kabataan.

“That particular child… she stated in this particular video…prior to this video that was taken, what was being planted so to speak in the minds of these children. I do not want to give [or] conclude for you but If you would like to listen,” Liggayu said.

Responding to the allegations, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian denied that their personnel are influencing the children in any manner.

“I stand by our people. Our social workers, our child psychologist, and our case managers in our care facilities in no way will influence the child to say things. These are people who have been working with the department without any political color or any leaning towards anybody,” Gatchalian said.

“The video is there, true, but again, there will be a better explanation to that but to somehow… insinuate that our people in the care facilities were teaching them, hindi po yun gawain ng mga magigiting naming social worker na araw araw nagsasakripisyo [that is not what our noble social workers, who sacrifice day after day, do],” he added.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the committee, said there was no independent child psychologist who could assess the testimonies of the children based on the two videos during the hearing, but the Commission on Human Rights said that visits to the children can be done to conduct focus group discussions or one-on-one sessions so they can gather unbiased testimonies.

Lawyer Rommel Tinga from the CHR also said they follow the Child Witness Procedure of the Supreme Court in getting the testimonies from the children so that the evidence could be admissible in court should a case be filed regarding the matter.

In May the DSWD issued a cease and desist order against Gentle Hands, saying it was for various  reasons including overcapacity and hygiene concerns. Gatchalian also said that he personally received complaints about the living conditions in the orphanage. — BM, GMA Integrated News