Mindanao, Philippines – An obscure spiritual motion, believed to be selling an imminent end-of-the-world ideology, has been accused of participating in sexual violence and compelled marriage of its personal members, together with youngsters.
The Socorro Bayanihan Companies, which was initially a civic organisation, has morphed right into a quasi-religious group that can also be allegedly concerned in extorting cash from its members, in addition to the drug commerce within the city of Socorro, an island in Mindanao.
The organisation, now generally known as Omega de Salonera, has at the very least 3,500 members, together with 1,580 youngsters. They’re reportedly sequestered in a mountain enclave “closely guarded” by its members, Senator Risa Hontiveros mentioned in a speech within the Senate of the Philippines on Monday evening.
“It is a harrowing story of rape, sexual violence, baby abuse, pressured marriage perpetrated on minors by a cult. This cult is armed and harmful,” Hontiveros added, citing witness accounts.
In latest weeks, at the very least eight youngsters managed to flee from the mountain neighborhood and offered harrowing first-person testimonies to the authorities in Socorro city.
‘Compelled marriage’
A 15-year-old with the pseudonym Chloe testified by video that the chief of the group, Jey Rence B Quilario, pressured her to get married to a 21-year-old man when she was 13 years outdated.
Quilario is revered by members of the group and claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus and the world’s new saviour. He’s additionally known as The Messiah.
On a number of events, Quilario allegedly locked up Chloe in a room along with her new partner and compelled her to have interaction in intercourse with him.
Quilario additionally allegedly instructed the husband “he has the correct to rape her” as a result of they have been married, Chloe tearfully recalled.
Chloe mentioned she pleaded along with her mother and father to interrupt up her marriage, however they refused saying they needed to comply with the desire of The Messiah.
Hontiveros mentioned sexual crimes are being perpetrated towards different youngsters and youngsters residing within the mountain neighborhood.
“In accordance with direct and firsthand testimonies, Quilario would have interaction in acts of sexual abuse and violence towards minors, together with ordering lady youngsters to sleep with him,” the senator alleged.
‘Burning in hell’
A collection of earthquakes that hit Surigao del Norte province in early 2019 turned the impetus for the chief to lure followers to affix the group within the mountains of Socorro and be “saved” from the approaching finish of the world, in keeping with Hontiveros’s assertion.
Members have been then instructed in the event that they refused to depart their properties, they’d find yourself “burning in hell”.
On account of the chief’s warning, “a mass exodus” to the mountains came about, with followers surrendering salaries.
“I additionally obtained info that the actual and extra substantial supply of funding of this cult is from medication,” the senator mentioned, including the actual motivation of the group’s leaders is to create a “human defend” to keep away from prosecution for drug actions.
On Tuesday, Hontiveros’s workplace instructed Al Jazeera it has requested authorities to conduct an investigation.
In a radio interview on Tuesday, Mamerto Galanida, a senior member of the group, denied the “unfair” allegations and mentioned it was able to face any investigation.
There are a number of spiritual teams within the Philippines which might be labelled by authorities as “cults”.
In 2002, a confrontation between authorities and followers of one other group within the Surigao area of Mindanao turned lethal after they resisted the arrest of their chief, who was suspected of massacring of his circle of relatives members.
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