President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the deployment of police officers to a community in Camarines Sur after reading a letter from an 11-year-old girl alleging that she and other children were being harassed by a barangay official.
The President responded to the two-page letter, which was posted on social media by a non-profit organization based in Camarines Sur.
“Your letter has reached me and brought me close to tears and made me very angry. I am sending policemen to you and your sisters to protect you and to find anyone who has hurt any of you,” Marcos said.
He also assured the girl that she would be able to continue her studies.
“I will make sure that you will be able to continue reading and studying as much as you want. You are a very brave, intelligent, and very kind girl and I will make sure to help you and your sisters in any way you need,” the President added.
In the letter, the girl alleged that the son of a barangay official raped one of her “sisters” at the mission run by the non-profit organization. The victim later became pregnant and was allegedly taken by the barangay official to undergo an abortion.
The girl also claimed that the victim was raped again and has since stopped attending school.
She further alleged that the barangay official threatened and harassed the children and their families by cutting off their access to electricity and water, and by destroying or stealing their crops.
According to the letter, many families in the area “stay in survival mode because government people make life very difficult.”
The girl appealed directly to Marcos, asking for help so they could return to school safely.
“How will we read if we are being raped? How will we read if our own government people cut our electrical wires so we have no lights? How will we read if our kagawad cut off our balon wires and so we have no water?” she wrote.
“We are kids, we are not involved in your political parties. I just want to go to school without being raped. So, can you please help us?”
The girl reportedly left her elementary graduation ceremony to submit a complaint against the local official, along with a petition signed by 201 residents.
Marcos assured the child that the government would continue to help her and the other children if they needed further assistance.
