The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is closely monitoring a case involving Gentle Hand, Inc. (GHI), following allegations of kidnapping and serious detention made by a mother, according to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
During an interview, he revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has already filed kidnapping charges against the private orphanage.
He mentioned that there are five similar cases in which distressed mothers had their children forcibly separated from them, which goes against the principles of the DSWD.
“There are five similarly situated cases wherein distressed mothers were somehow.. the children were forcibly separated from the mother, which is no-no in the Department. Definitely, you don’t break families apart. One mother already filed kidnapping and serious detention cases. It’s already filed by the DOJ so that’s something that we are looking at closely,” the DSWD chief explained.
“The (parents) saw stories about Gentle Hands and they were emboldened to come out in the open. Kasi noon ay sila-sila lang, they felt helpless. So now, suddenly, they come to us. So we would direct them to the proper agency,” he added.
Secretary Gatchalian emphasized that the department ensures that cases or concerns reported to them are referred to the right authorities, allowing them to conduct necessary investigations.
On June 9, lawyers from the DOJ, specifically the Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking (IACAT) Task Force, assisted the principal complainant, Monina Espinosa Roxas (also known as Juvy Roxas Espinosa), in finalizing her complaint-affidavit.
The complaint includes charges of kidnapping and failure to return three minor children.
GHI, which operates childcare facilities in Project 4, Quezon City, and Baliuag, Bulacan, had its operations temporarily suspended on May 25 following a cease-and-desist order issued by the DSWD.
Additionally, the Bureau of Fire Protection's Quezon City Fire District revoked GHI's fire safety inspection certificate (FSIC) due to multiple Fire Code violations, including the absence of proper fire escape facilities.
