Senators Risa Hontiveros and Bato dela Rosa on Thursday, September 28 cited in contempt the leader and three members of a suspected religious cult, Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI), for allegedly not telling the truth.
Hontiveros moved to cite in contempt Jey Rence Quilario or alias Senior Aguila, Mamerto Galanida, Karen Sanico, and Janeth Ajoc for denying that there had been no child marriages in the group during the joint hearing of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.
"I respectfully move to cite in contempt Jey Rence Quilario, Mamerto Galanida, Janeth Ajoc, at Karen Sanico. I so move, Mr. Chair," she asked Dela Rosa, who sits as the chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
Bato swiftly approved the motion after there were no objections.
The SBSI leader and the three members denied that underage children were married to adolescent men despite the sworn testimonies of the victim-survivors and witnesses.
"Ang masasabi ko, walang kasalan katulad nang sinabi ni Janeth. Meron mga bata na hindi natin mapigilan na parang may pre-marital engagement na sila. Kaming mga parents, wala na kami magawa," Galanida said.
"Wala po talaga, Ma'am," Sanico also said.
Quilario, Galanida, Ajoc, and Sanico would be spending their night at the Senate as a punishment for their contempt.
In the first part of the joint hearing, Hontiveros presented alias Jane, a 15-year-old victim who recounted that she was forced to marry an 18-year-old man she did not know.
She claimed that Senior Aguila picked her partner and authorized their sexual intercourse after the wedding ceremony.
"Hindi daw silang pwedeng humindi kasi Diyos [Senior Aguila] naman daw ang magsasabi na iyon ang pares nila," Jane's translator said.
The 15-year-old victim said that her mother was forced to remarry another man.
"Hindi daw pwedeng walang pares kasi hindi sila makakapasok sa arko ng Noah," Jane's translator said.
Former SBSI member Lovely Sandoval also testified that her 12-year-old sister was also coerced by Senior Aguila to marry an unacquainted older man.
"Ako mismo ang witness kasi ako yung nag-ano.. kasi yung ceremony parang kasal, nilalakad yung babae sa lalaki. Tapos naghihintay sa dulo si Senior Aguila, ayun ang nangyayari sa ceremonya," she said.
Sandoval said the SBSI leader together with Ajoc repeatedly scolded her sister for refusing to have sexual intercourse with her husband.
"Kapag dating niya sa bahay, iiyak siya. Sabi niya 'Ayoko, ayokong gawin yun kasi hindi ko mahal yung tao. Hindi ko gagawin iyon'," she said, adding that all minors, who are disobeying the SBSI leaders, were directed to stand outside the community gate even it was raining.
Another 12-year-old victim named Renz stated that his father was also ordered to remarry, but his mother disapproved of this.
"Minsan ay inutusan ang aking ama na magpakasal ulity doon sa kapihan. Ayaw ng nanay ko na magpakasal ulit ang tatay ko dahil masisira ang pamilya namin," he said.
