Alarming revelations have emerged regarding the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI), with claims that underage members are coerced into marrying and engaging in sexual relationships with adults under the pretext of fulfilling a “rule to go to heaven.”
The alleged orchestrator behind this system is known as “Senior Agila,” whose real name is Jey Rence Quilario. He is the leader of what some have labeled a “cult” based in Surigao del Norte, as disclosed by a former 15-year-old member who testified before a Senate panel investigation on Thursday.
The young witness, using the pseudonym “Jane,” recounted her distressing experience. At the tender age of 14, she claimed she was forced into marriage and compelled to have sexual relations with an 18-year-old man she had never met before. According to Jane, it was Quilario who arranged these unions.
Jane further revealed that the community secretary would compile a list of single members, including girls as young as 12 and boys at least 18. From this list, Quilario would select “the pair approved by god.”
With the assistance of her legal counsel-translator, Ruth Restauro, Jane explained in her native Bisaya language, “Si Senior Aguila ang nagpapares na ikaw paired ka dito. Hindi pwedeng humindi dahil diyos daw ang nagsasabi na ‘yun ang pares.” (Senior Aguila is the one who chooses the pair. You can’t say no because they say god said that should be the pair.)
Jane continued her unsettling testimony during the public hearing, asserting that Quilario mandated every member to have a partner and engage in sexual intercourse with that partner after marriage. This, Jane claimed, was one of SBSI’s rules to secure a place in heaven.
Jane chillingly conveyed, “After sa kasal kailangan sila magsiping sabi daw ni Jay Rence. [Sabi sa lalake] authorized [sya] kunin or i-rape ‘yong wife dahil [mag-asawa] naman kayo. Kailangan makuha sila in three days otherwise they will be called na nag ‘adios’.” (Jay Rence said that after the wedding they have to sleep. [The man is told that] he is authorized to take or rape [the] wife because [they] are [husband and wife]. The girls should have sex with the boy in three days or else they will be called “adios.”)
Jane further disclosed that Quilario drew a parallel between Sitio Kapihan, a designated area where the alleged cult members reside, and Noah’s ark, where creatures or animals must enter in pairs.
Senator Risa Hontiveros probed into what consequences befell an SBSI member who committed “adios.” Jane responded that they would face various punishments at the discretion of Quilario, which could include being subjected to paddle beatings or confinement in a structure referred to as the “fox hole,” among other penalties. Jane asserted that Quilario employed a roulette of punishments to determine the consequences for disobedient members.
Senator Hontiveros initially brought the activities of SBSI to light on September 18, shedding light on the plight of young members allegedly subjected to sexual abuse and coerced into marrying adults.
