Task Force Kapihan spokesperson Ed Sangco & Sen. Bato dela Rosa | The Source
The Senate detains leaders of the alleged cult in Socorro after citing them in contempt.
A lawmaker is convinced the group situated in the mountains of Surigao del Norte fits the classic definition of a cult.
And, with the alarming testimonies of the victims and the incessant denials of Socorro leaders, how can lawmakers ferret out the truth?
Pinky Webb speaks with Task Force Kapihan spokesperson Ed Sangco and Senator Bato dela Rosa.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
A lawmaker is convinced the group situated in the mountains of Surigao del Norte fits the classic definition of a cult.
And, with the alarming testimonies of the victims and the incessant denials of Socorro leaders, how can lawmakers ferret out the truth?
Pinky Webb speaks with Task Force Kapihan spokesperson Ed Sangco and Senator Bato dela Rosa.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Welcome to The Source, where we combine the headlines with in-depth conversations with
00:07 the newsmakers themselves.
00:09 I'm Pinky Webb.
00:10 Today on the program, the Senate detains leaders of the alleged cult in Socorro after citing
00:15 them in contempt.
00:17 A lawmaker is convinced the group situated in the mountains of Surigo del Norte fits
00:22 the classic definition of a cult.
00:25 And with the alarming testimonies of the victims and the incessant denials of Socorro leaders,
00:30 how can lawmakers ferret out the truth?
00:32 Task Force Kapi'an spokesperson Ed Sanco and Senator Bato de la Rosa join us in the
00:38 program.
00:48 Just a warning to our viewers, some details in this story discussion may be sensitive.
00:54 Harrowing stories of abuse in the community of Socorro Bayanihan Services, Inc., or SBSI,
01:00 allegedly committed and encouraged by J. Renz Guilario, also known as Senor Aguila.
01:06 Several members of SBSI came forward at the inquiry of the Senate Committee on Public
01:12 Order and Dangerous Drugs to talk about how they were forced into sexual acts and early
01:18 marriages even if they were minors.
01:21 They said the orders to commit illegal acts came from Sen. Aguila, who claims to be the
01:26 reincarnation of Santo Niño.
01:29 Senator Risa Ontiveros says the alleged cult is being used to perpetrate abuses and any
01:33 form of disobedience is punished.
01:37 "The children are being allowed to go out.
02:01 It's not a concern."
02:20 Sen. Aguila and three other member leaders of SBSI were cited in contempt and detained
02:25 in the Senate after consistently lying under oath and denying the existence of child marriages
02:32 in their community.
02:33 Let's go straight to the source of the story.
02:35 We have Task Force Kapihan spokesperson Ed Sanco.
02:38 Sir Ed, maraming salamat po sa inyong oras.
02:41 Welcome to the source, sir.
02:43 Maraming salamat, Ed.
02:45 Magandang umaga, Pia.
02:47 This is Pinky, sir.
02:49 Hi, Pinky.
02:51 Sorry.
02:52 No problem, sir.
02:53 Kayo ho ba nasa Manila pa rin?
02:56 Yes, po.
02:57 Nasa Manila pa po sa ngayon.
03:00 Babalik kami dun bukas.
03:03 Ah, ang balik niyo po sa Socorro ay bukas.
03:09 Sir Ed, yung pong siguro, ano po yung inyong pakiramdam or overall assessment dito po sa
03:16 naging unang pagdinig ng Senado?
03:20 Sinabi ko noong dating interview natin na sinatawag namin na victory on our part na at least
03:32 mapakinggan yung mga witnesses na makapagsalita at their own free will na karat din yung mga
03:43 inaaposan nila.
03:44 So yun ang nangyayari kapon.
03:51 Ikinagalak-ikinagalak yan ng mga, lalo na sa mga witnesses, yun ang hinihintay nilang
03:57 pagkakataon na at least maihayag nila ang kanilang mga damdamin tungkol sa mga pangyayari
04:03 sa kanilang buhay.
04:05 Nagulat pa ba kayo sa mga sinabi ng ilang testigo or alleged victim?
04:16 Hindi ko na ikinagugulat kasi sinabi ko na noong meeting last April 19 noong tinatawag sila
04:27 ng taskforce kapihan at sa mga in front of the municipal officials and the PNP ng mga police.
04:39 Sinasabi nila yan, in fact marami pang harrowing experience ng ibang mga diktima na hindi na
04:47 nakapagwalang chance, hindi sila nagigyan ng chance na maihayag yan.
04:53 Kami rin mag-testify doon na tinatakot allegedly sa tagakapihan kaya hindi na tumuloy na mag-testigo.
05:10 Pero noong marinig namin originally mas marami pa sila.
05:17 Meron pa isa na babae o lalaki na mag-testify sa senado pero sinasabi nila allegedly tinakot kaya hindi na tuloy?
05:30 Yes marami pa. In fact meron pang iba mas madigat pero ayaw talagang magsalita.
05:48 Allegedly tinatakot na iipitin ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay na andoon pa na iwan sa kapihan.
06:01 So ang sinasabi nyo po sa kagustuhan man nilang lumabas at isiwalat yung kanilang karanasan
06:10 ay tila na ba blackmail sila hinggil sa kanilang mga magulang na pwedeng ano ba may gagawin sa kanilang magulang kung sila mag-testify?
06:21 Yes po. Mismo ang kanilang magulang nang sabi sa kanila na huwag mag-testify kasi bakaan nangyari sa kanila.
06:32 Mismo binabantaan sila mismo na kaya daw gawin nila kung ano ang gusto nila sa mga mahal nila sa buhay.
06:44 Sir Ed, pagkatapos po nitong unang hearing, sa palagay nyo ba meron pang ibang mga lalabas at magbibigay ng kanilang mga karanasan?
06:57 Siguro baka yung iba magkaroon ng lakas ng loob kasi nakikita na nila na magkaroon na may magandang kahampungan nito.
07:10 In fact yung lumalabas merong nagpadala sa amin na video galing dun sa member pa nila na yung actual na child marriage
07:26 na parang itinataon sa Valentine's na nag-kiss yung mga pinag-asawa at merong actual na child labor.
07:38 Nagpadala sila ng mga buhangin, yung sinasabi ng mga bata.
07:43 So meron kayo yung sinasabing video ngayon. Is this something you've submitted dito sa komitin ni Sen. Bato at Sen. Riza?
07:54 Hindi ba po kasi pagkatapos lang ng Senate hearing kahapon meron ng mga naglakas loob na voluntario na binigay nila ang kanyang video kasi baka makatulong sa investigasyon.
08:13 At muli yung new video ay pinapakita ang sinasabing yung child marriage, ganun ba, noong Valentine's Day, ito lamang itong nakaraang February?
08:25 Hindi po namin alam kung itong nakaraan. Hindi ko pa rin nakita talaga yung meron bang date. Pero nakita ko lang sa backdrop ay parang Valentine's.
08:37 Pero itsitsek ko muna sa date kung meron day.
08:43 And then the other one was yung sinabi niyo ng child labor. Ano po yung nakita niyo sa video?
08:48 Yung mga bata na nagpipila na meron daladalang sako at bata rin ang nagpapala ng son inilagay sa sako. At yan ang sinabi nila na kanilang papasanin papunta doon kung saan nila daladalang.
09:05 Sir, you saw this video? You saw these videos?
09:08 Yeah, I saw this video.
09:10 Alright, siguro as a last question sir, I'm going to talk to Senator Boto de la Rosa after you.
09:15 Ano palagay ninyo ang magiging epekto ng pagditina kay Sen. Aguilar at tatlong iba pa sa Senado? Doon po sa mga miyembro at nandun po sa kapihan sa ngayon?
09:30 Marami kasing nagsabi dati pa noong April na talagang parang minamack lang kami na wala dawang mangyayari sa mga reklamo ng witnesses.
09:47 Pero marami ding nagsabi na pag maditin eh yung kinikilala nila mga leaders doon bababa na sila.
09:56 So malaki talagang epekto kasi nakikita ng mga members nila na hindi pala totoo yung mga sinasabi nila.
10:06 Kasi magaling mag-quest lalo si Humberto Galanida, siya yung pinaka-curator sa amin.
10:13 Kahit pula, makikita mong pula pag sinasabi niya puti ito, yung mga taong makinig parang puti nga pero nakita mong pula.
10:21 So yun ang pinaniwalaan nila, yung mga explanations, anong ginagawa ni Zerrins.
10:30 So sa ngayon na nakita nila lalo na yung mga testimony nila na kitang-kita naman kung nagsasabi sila ng totoo kaya na-contempt, so malaking epekto ito sa mga members talaga."
10:45 Sir Ed Sanko ng Task Force Kapihan, maraming salamat po sa inyong oras. Thank you sir.
10:50 And coming up, Senator Bato de la Rosa believes someone else could be controlling the alleged Socorro cult leader, Sen. Aguila.
10:58 He tells us more after the break. This is The Source on CNN Philippines. Please stay tuned.
11:03 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines.
11:11 I'm Pinky Webb. Our source today is Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Chairperson, Sen. Bato de la Rosa.
11:16 Sen. Bato, welcome to The Source. Maraming salamat sa inyong oras sir.
11:21 Thank you Pinky. Good morning.
11:24 Sir, siguro ang una kong tanong, ang haba nung hearing kahapon, after that first day of hearing, para ho ba sa inyo, how would you describe SBSI? Masasabi niyo na ho bang kulto ito o pwede pa rin pong bukas pa rin kayo naisipin ang kanilang depensa that this is a legitimate people's organization?
11:45 Yes, ang klaro dyan, Pinky, nakikita natin, the group started as a legitimate people's organization. Yung Socorro Bayanihan Services Incorporated ay legitimate yan na people's organization.
11:59 That slowly transformed into a cult. Per definition of a cult, yung blind obedience, strong reverence to a single personality, ay nag-exist sa grupo na yan.
12:16 Masakit para sa kanila. Alam natin masakit sa kanila. Kumingi ako ng dispensa na matawag silang culto because per definition talagang nagkakualify sila sa cult.
12:32 So, ilan ang status lang yan? Nagiging culto sila from people's organization. Nagsimula ito ng 2019, nung titumaan sila ng lindol doon sa Socorro, 5.8 magnitude na lindol, tumama sa kanila,
12:49 and they were advised by Sen. Aguilar, yung kanilang leader na allegedly by divine powers claiming to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, na pumunta kayo doon sa Kapihan for you to be saved
13:07 because it's going to be the end of the world, yung lindol doon na yun. So, mag-end of the world na, then for them to be saved, pumunta sa Kapihan,
13:18 dahil yun yung highest area doon sa isla nila, sumama naman silang lahat doon, at doon na nagsimula yung cultism nila.
13:27 Okay. Senator, upon questioning and meeting, seeing Sen. Aguilar, ano ba yung assessment nyo sa kanya, sa kanyang pananalita, kasi napaka-bata,
13:38 and I'm sure you're observing his demeanor. Does he seem like the leader of this SBSI?
13:46 He's just a figurehead. Ginagamit lang siya doon na simbolo. Kanyang-kanyang ginamit yung kanyang puposes ng divine powers ko no to command adherence and loyalty from the subjects.
14:05 So ginamit lang siya. Ang nasa likod niya nagkontrol sa organization. At yung tatlo na yun, nakikita natin yung Galanida, na dating mayor for three terms ng Socorro,
14:19 at naging may doctor of education sa degree pa, naging superintendent ng DEPED, provincial superintendent.
14:28 Halata natin na sila ang nasa likod nito at saka yung tatlo pa, three others na nakakulong ngayon dyang sa Senado.
14:37 So ginagamit itong si Sen. Aguilar nitong tatlo na kasalukuyang nakakulong dyang sir. Mamerto Galanida, Karen Sanico and Janet Ahok. Sila huyong mga nakakulong.
14:50 Hindi lang yung tatlo na yan. Mayroon pang iba na hindi na cited in contempt kahapon. Alam ko mayroon pang ibang personalities dyan na sa likuran na nag-dedicta dyan kay Sen. Aguilar.
15:05 Nakita mo naman, parang Kim Jong-un na bata na alam mo na, sabi nga niya he was crying yesterday that maawak daw tayo sa kanya, 22 years old daw siya, bata pa siya, kulang sa education, second year high school daw na tapos niya.
15:26 Nakita ko naman talaga na ginagamit lang ito siya. Mayroon pang mga tao sa likuran niya.
15:35 Q: Senator, naungkat ba? I tried to watch as much as I could. Nasan yung magulang nitong si Sen. Aguilar?
15:44 Hindi naungkat yan. Hindi naungkat kahapon. Yun nga pala annex hearing. Itatanong kung saan is this. Daki itong ginamit nito mga sa likuran niya para magiging leader ng grupo.
16:01 Q: Senator, there's a lot that was discussed, private army. Pag-usapan na po natin yan. Nagtagal din po. There was sometime allotted to yung picture.
16:13 Meron po akong naabutan na dalawang police that you were questioning together with Sen. Riza and Sen. Francis Tolentino.
16:21 Tinanong nyo na nga po, bakit ka umalis bilang police? Naalala ko pa sabi ninyo, ang taas ng sweldo nyo, sinabi nyo pa during the time of President Duterte,
16:33 dumoble ang inyong sweldo, bakit kayo umalis? And to that, they were responding na masyado daw silang napapalayo sa kanilang mga pamilya.
16:43 What was your assessment dito po sa dalawang dating police?
16:49 "Well, uniform ang nilang sinasabi. Gusto nilang mapalapit sa pamilya kaya silang umalis sa servisyo. Pero sa nakita ko, Pinky, nagkasubuan na lang ito.
17:02 Kahit na hirap sila sa Kapihan, kita mo ang sitwasyon na doon na medyo hirap talaga. Sayang ang kanilang pag-alis sa servisyo.
17:15 Uniform ang sagot nilang, gusto nilang mapalapit sa kanilang pamilya. We respect that reason. But then again, nanghalata talaga kuan na lang nila yan,
17:27 justifying kuan na lang, reasons nila yan para masabi na hindi sila nagkamali sa kanilang decision.
17:36 But again, wala tayong pakialam kaya kung gusto nilang pumunta doon, they are free to exercise their fate kung anong gusto nilang gawin sa buhay.
17:47 Sa atin nilang, in the exercise of their fate, wala silang constitutional rights lalo lalo sa mga minority edad na mga subjects nila na ma-violate."
17:58 In fact, you said that a number of times sir, na inyong pananalitayos wala naman talaga kayong pakialam kung gusto nilang doon sa Kapihan, kung gusto nilang mag-form ng grupo.
18:08 Basta sinasabi nyo, do not commit any illegal acts and do not commit human rights violations.
18:14 Senator Bato, I just need to take a very short break. This is The Source on CNN Philippines. Please stay tuned.
18:19 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines. I'm Pinky Webb.
18:27 Our source today is Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Chairperson Senator Bato De La Rosa.
18:32 Senator, during the hearing yesterday, I know nagbigay po ng actions taken yung NBI, hindi ho ba?
18:38 But there was one point there that caught my attention. I don't know if it caught your attention as well.
18:44 Yung sinabi ng NBI na hindi nagpupunta yung mga respondents doon sa kanilang imbitasyon for an investigation.
18:52 And at some point, the NBI even said, they sent a letter to SBSI saying that kami nalang ang pupunta dyan.
19:01 We will conduct a preliminary investigation but please assure our safety.
19:06 Bakit ho napunta doon na ang NBI ay kailangan pang humingi ng assurance ng kanilang safety pag akyat doon sa bundok?
19:16 Nagulat ho ba kayo doon, sir?
19:18 Hindi na ako nagulat. Dahil nga alam ng NBI na may minimintain sila doon na private armed group.
19:27 Nakita nga natin sa mga pictures na pinakita. Meron sila mga taong armado doon sa taas, uniformado pa.
19:36 Isipin mo naman kung NBI ka lima, ane, sampo lang kayo papasok sa area,
19:43 parang kung hindi kayo sigurado doon, baka mamaya hindi kayo makalabas.
19:48 Kita mo yung mga armado doon. Marami sila.
19:50 So naniguro lang rin yung NBI na hindi sila mapapasama kapag sila ipapasok doon.
19:57 Fair enough. Now, because you were saying private army, ito pong litrato na ito, pinag-usapan din po ito,
20:05 and you were saying as a cop, as a former PNP chief, you were saying that some of these guns,
20:15 you were trying to figure out kung totoo ba itong mga armas na ito o hindi,
20:19 to which there was a part sinabi niyo yung nasa kaliwa ata ni Sen. Aguilar o sa kanan niya ay mukhang fake,
20:25 pero yung nasa kaliwa ay hindi kayo sigurado. Sir, tell us your assessment dito sa litrato po na ito
20:31 at itong mga armas, alleged armas na mga ito, sir.
20:35 Well, my first impression at first glance, yung nasa to the right of Sen. Aguilar, yung maigsi na firearm ay mukhang hindi nga totoo,
20:48 mukhang kahoy or kahoy ba or whatever, basta it doesn't look genuine for me.
20:57 Pero itong dalawa na mahaba na parang sniper rifle, to the left of Sen. Aguilar,
21:05 hindi ako makasiguro kung totoo yan o hindi. Pero makita mo naman parang totoo. Hindi lang ako makasiguro.
21:13 How do you, was it established in yesterday's hearing that there is or there is or was a private army, sir?
21:22 Well, according to the witnesses, meron talaga silang minimintain doon mga babay according to order yan.
21:34 Yung pinakamagaling nasa Aguilar ba yun, ang tawag noon, soldiers of Christ, hanggang sa letter F, yung FITOS, yung mga bata.
21:43 That's how they are sectorized. That's how they are organized.
21:48 So meron pa sinabi ng isang witness na during their firearms training, tinuruan silang mag-assemble, disassemble ng rifle,
21:58 ay nag-accidental firing, pumutok pa yung isang baril. Mabuti na lang walang tinamaan.
22:04 And every morning, every morning, kawawa nga yung mga bata, alas dos pa ng madaling araw,
22:11 nagigising na sila, mag-start na sila ng kanilang activities. Parang sobra pa sa PMA.
22:18 Ang PMA, nagigising yung kadete, mga around alas 4 na para mag-prepare for the daily activities.
22:25 Sa kanila, alas dos pa, gising na mga bata. Nagsimula na sa kanilang mga exercises.
22:31 Then hanggang sa forced labor, nagsimula na yung kanilang training.
22:36 So makikita natin na meron silang minimintain na private army.
22:43 Kasi dine-deploy nila yan sa palibot nila. Kaya meron silang mga bata sinasabing faxols daw.
22:50 But it appeared, doon sa dating police na member ng SBSI, ang tawag lang daw doon,
22:58 actually they are not faxols or running trinches, kundi one lang yung makeshift lang na kubo,
23:05 ang tinawag ng mga bata na faxol, saan doon na diyudyute yung mga magwagwardiya sa perimeter nila.
23:12 More or less, meron silang minimintain.
23:15 But records of FEO, sabi ng FEO ng PNP, lahat ng armas daw ng dating police around 7pm, nung sila nag-resign or nag-awol.
23:34 Accounted ito lahat ng firearms ng dating PNP at yung personal firearms, yung personal licensed firearms ng dating police,
23:44 ay sinerender nila sa FEO, nasa custodian ng gobyerno.
23:49 Pero record, wala tayong official record na armas nila.
23:53 But we don't know about loose firearms, meron silang minimintain na loose firearms sa loob.
23:58 Siguro, Senator Bato, how do you reconcile what happened yesterday?
24:05 While there were a number of witnesses saying child abuse, child marriage, pinipilit po sila into sexual activities, child labor.
24:16 And then you have the other group saying, "Hindi totoo yan, no such thing exists."
24:21 Siguro ang story dito is he said, she said. How do you reconcile these conflicting statements?
24:29 Paano kayo dadating sa isang conclusion kung sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo?
24:34 Well as an investigator, you have to observe yung inyong inibistigahan, hindi lang yung kanya verbal messages, hindi pa rin yung non-verbal messages na gagaling sa kanila.
24:52 At nakita namin na itong mga bata, mga inosente, mga 12 years old, mga minority edad, they have no reason to lie.
25:02 Wala kami nakita motibo para sila magsinungaling. You can just imagine babae, base sa ating kultura, ang babae lalo lalo na bata, 12 years old,
25:13 walang rason yan na magsabi to the point na i-expose pa nila yung paninira ng kailang ori sa kailang pagkababae.
25:23 Yung about rape and about forced sex na pinipili sa kanila, forced marriages, wala ko nakita ng motive para mag-presenta ng kasinungalingan itong bata.
25:37 At doon sa mga matatanda, yung mga nag-manage ng SBSI, nakita naman natin na consistent uniform yung kanilang sinasabi na halata may tinatago.
25:50 They have all the reasons to make alibis.
25:54 Q: Why was the decision to hold the next hearing in Capihan?
26:13 "To show to them that the government is on top of the situation. Di kailangan matako tayo pumunta sa area dahil marami sila at mayroon silang private army.
26:28 We can go there but ipaclear muna natin sa PNP, Philippine Army, ipaclear natin yung area ata. Punta natin. We will conduct an ocular inspection on the said area para malami natin first hand kung anong situation sa loob ng Capihan.
26:45 And ang hearing gaganapin natin sa poblasyon kung walang ibang available na space sa munisipyo. Kung pwede magpagamit yung munisipyo, gagamitin natin para sa Senate hearing.
27:01 The schedule is not yet fixed. We are busy kami ngayon sa budget hearing. Kahit na naka-break ang Senado, marami pa rin budget hearings na kinakandakan. We need to be there to scrutinize the budget of the different departments."
27:18 Q: What happens to the four? A: They remain with the custody of the USA. Until the committee decides to lift the contempt order.
27:36 Senator Bato de la Rosa, maraming salamat po sa inyong oras. Hope to speak to you again sir, siguro after a couple of weeks. Maraming salamat po. Thank you sir.
27:47 Thank you, Pinggy. Maraming salamat, Pinggy. Good morning.
27:50 Good morning. And before we go, CNN Philippines receives another recognition from this year's Asian Academy Creative Awards.
27:56 Our senior anchor Rico Hizon was named the national winner for best factual presenter. He will represent the Philippines at the final awarding ceremony in Singapore in December.
28:08 Congratulations. And CNN Philippines will continue to bring you news you can trust. Thank you for joining us here on The Source. I'm Pinggy Webb. You're watching CNN Philippines.
28:19 [Music]