Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said that he is convinced that the group Socorro Bayanihan Services, Inc. (SBSI) in Surigao del Norte is a cult.
The statement comes after the lawmaker visited the province and the community. Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview that members of the SBSI showed “strict reverence” and “blind obedience” to their leader, Jey Rence Quilario or “Senior Agila”.
“Yung paghi-heal niya kuno, yung pagiging quack doctor, naniwala mga tao, elemento yan ng cultism,” he said.
“Sino ba matinong tao na iinom ng tae ng kambing para gumaling siya? Yung may blind obedience, may blind na paniniwala, blind faith towards a cult leader,” the senator said.
Dela Rosa also cited the child marriages facilitated by Quilario which were supported by the parents of the children. Dela Rosa said he also found out about the military training and forced labor of minors.
SBSI leaders and some members cried foul over being labelled a cult.
The Philippine National Police also urged the National Bureau of Investigation and the local government to investigate the discovery of suspected remains of children in an illegal cemetery in Sitio Kapihan.
