Mindanao, Philippines – An obscure non secular 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 Providers, 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 not less than 3,500 members, together with 1,580 youngsters. They’re reportedly sequestered in a mountain enclave “closely guarded” by its members, Senator Risa Hontiveros stated in a speech within the Senate of the Philippines on Monday evening.
“This can be a harrowing story of rape, sexual violence, youngster abuse, compelled marriage perpetrated on minors by a cult. This cult is armed and harmful,” Hontiveros added, citing witness accounts.
In latest weeks, not less than eight youngsters managed to flee from the mountain group and offered harrowing first-person testimonies to the authorities in Socorro city.
‘Pressured marriage’
A 15-year-old with the pseudonym Chloe testified by video that the chief of the group, Jey Rence B Quilario, compelled her to get married to a 21-year-old man when she was 13 years previous.
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 together with her new partner and compelled her to interact in intercourse with him.
Quilario additionally allegedly advised the husband “he has the best to rape her” as a result of they have been married, Chloe tearfully recalled.
Chloe stated she pleaded together 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 stated sexual crimes are being perpetrated towards different youngsters and youngsters residing within the mountain group.
“In response to direct and firsthand testimonies, Quilario would interact 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 sequence of earthquakes that hit Surigao del Norte province in early 2019 grew to become 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 advised in the event that they refused to go away their houses, they might 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 acquired data that the true and extra substantial supply of funding of this cult is from medicine,” the senator stated, including the true motivation of the group’s leaders is to create a “human protect” to keep away from prosecution for drug actions.
On Tuesday, Hontiveros’s workplace advised 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 stated it was able to face any investigation.
There are a number of non secular 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.
