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Why did many SBSI couples lose their babies?

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Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

The leaders of Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. ended their detention in the Senate Tuesday, after the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs capped its investigation on the supposed “cult” in Socorro, Surigao del Norte.The panel’s last day of hearing Tuesday opened with Senator Risa Hontiveros showing lists of couples who reportedly lost their children while living in Sitio Kapihan as members of SBSI.One of them was the baby of Randolf Balbarino who was born breech in 2020, but was only able to live for two days.Balbarino said his wife was already in great pain and had difficulty breathing, prompting village health workers assisting her to just pull the baby out of her cervix.&quot;Wala akong magawa kasi yung asawa ko nagagalit sa akin dahil wala raw akong tiwala kay Senior Agila. Wala rin akong magagawa kasi kahit pilitin kong ilabas ang anak ko, may dalawang gate dun. Hindi ka makakalabas kung walang clearance ni Senior Agila,” Balbarino said.Jey Rence Quilario, who also goes by his preferred alias “Senior Agila,” strongly denied Balbarino’s allegations.“Nung 2020, hindi pa po ako president nun (ng SBSI),” Quilario defended.Provincial officials share one hypothesis on why many children died in Sitio Kapihan.“Ang Kapihan members, wala kaming record na nagpa-pre-natal, yung mga buntis... talagang wala kaming record. Kasi yung health center, yun ang birthing ng Socorro, walang nanganganak,” Mayor Riza Rafonzelle Timcang told the panel.“Since mothers were restricted from consulting medical intervention, most like mothers do not have enough nutrients,” said Atty. Sally Hans Barbaso, National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director.In the same hearing, senior citizen Pedrito Angcog narrated how he was manhandled by “Soldiers of God” members on allegations that he was using “black magic” on SBSI Vice President Mamerto Galanida.Speaking in Visayan, Angcog said Soldiers of God officer Wenefredo Buntad went to his house and fired his gun at him.“Dumaplis sa tenga ko ang dalawang bala, dalawang putok. Tapos ginapos ako sa mga kamay ng lubid patalikod. Masikip sa buong katawan ko. Tapos dinala ako at pinagbantaan ni Pedoy (Buntad). Pinatayo niya ako, pero bago yun habang nakagapos ako na nakadapa, sinipa ako sa likod. Tignan niyo ma’am yung kanan at kaliwang kamay ko Ma’am, sa epekto yan ng aking sakit nung sinipa ako. Tapos inapakan pa ako sa likod habang nakagapos,” Angcog said.Buntad was the “Pedoy” that he was referring to.“I cannot understand kung bakit isinasabit ako kung ano man habla doon. Sinasabi nila na ako. Anong alam ko?” Galanida said.Buntad also denied Angcog’s allegations, saying: “Hindi totoo yan. Ang katotohanan ang lalabas.”Meanwhile, alias “Chloe” said that she she was only 13 years old when SBSI officer Janeth Ajoc locked her in a room with a 21-year-old man who later raped her.Chloe, now 15 years old, escaped from Sitio Kapihan, and tearfully appealed to her relatives who are still in the village to abandon the organization and join her.Ajoc denied the allegations.“Kung hindi totoo, bakit sinabi mo pa sa akin na saan galing yung apelyido ko ‘tapos ikaw pa mag-adios. Eh yung apo nga ni Mamerto (Galanida) tanggap asawa niya, ikaw pa,’” Chloe said.Balbarino said that 50 percent of his income as a fisherman automatically goes to SBSI as &quot;donation&quot;.According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the agency consistently extends assistance to indigent families of Socorro, which include more than 200 SBSI members.“Simula po nung 2019 nakapagbigay tayo ng educational grant and health grants sa ma beneficiaries including their rice subsidies at yan po ay nabigay natin sa 202 household members... yan po ay in the form of cash... yan po ay P600 kada buwan,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao told the panel.“According sa affidavit ng mga miyembro nila ay binabawasan ng P1,000. napupunta sa SBSI. But after your distribution meron umiikot na Flordeliz Ilandag na sabi ni Senior Agila ay kanilang treasurer. Ito’y nangongolekta at talagang ine-eskortan pa ng Agila,” Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chairman of the committee, said.An official of the municipal DSWD later confirmed receiving the same information from SBSI members.“Parang may iba kasi na tulad ng emergency shelter assistance (ESA) ng DSWD. Ang Kapihan ay considered totally damaged (ang houses). Nakatanggap ang bawat household ng P10,000. Ang narinig ko po na report may nagbigay ng pP6,000. Parang may kinolekta na P6,000 sa P10,000. May iba 50-50,” said Chien Cen Dizon.“Sinong nangongolekta?” Senator Francis Tolentino asked.“Yung treasurer ng Kapihan... around 900 x100 kasi household basis ng ESA,” Dizon said.“P9 million ia-assume natin na nawala mga P4.5 million napunta sa treasurer ng Kapihan,” Tolentino said.This prompted Senator Risa Hontiveros to also make her own computation.“Kanina napag-usapan ang rice allowance P600 per month, 202 households. P102,000 din yan bawat buwan, P1.4 million bawat taon. So, pag kinaltasan yan ng kalahati siyempre P700,000 din yan,” Hontiveros pointed out.“Hindi po, wala po akong in-approve-an... yung makasagot lang nyan si Ma’am Lilian Dizon,” Quilario said.Before the hearing ended, Justice Undersecretary Nicolas Felix Ty reported to the panel that they have filed 20 cases against 13 SBSI officials.The charges are illegal solemnization of child marriage, child abuse, and the non-bailable qualified trafficking in persons.Ty said the government is likely to file additional cases against SBSI officials.“Clearly there are other incidents that we can look into such as the children who died in child birth as well as the abuse o senior citizens who testified earlier,” Ty said.“We invoke on the principle that the rights of the parties cannot be prejudiced by mere allegation... we have our courts of justice,” Galanida said.Before closing the hearing, Hontiveros moved to lift the contempt charge against the four SBSI officials.This was immediately followed by dela Rosa’s acknowledgement of the court’s arrest warrant against the 13 SBSI leaders, and their turnover to Department of Justice representatives straight to the National Bureau of Investigation detention facility.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/07/23/sbsi-parents-sue-lgu-investigator-cops-for-alleged-kidnapping">SBSI parents sue LGU investigator, cops for alleged kidnapping</a></li></ul><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2866459" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Senator Risa Hontiveros showed lists of couples who reportedly lost their children while living in Sitio Kapihan as members of SBSI.

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Why did many SBSI couples lose their babies?

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 07, 2023 08:46 PM PHT

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Senate

Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc.

Senior Aguila

Jey Rence Quilario

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