Courtesy Senate of the Philippines
Senator Risa Hontiveros has called upon the Senate to investigate alarming claims of over a thousand minors falling victim to sexual violence, child abuse, and forced marriages allegedly orchestrated by a cult in Surigao del Norte.
According to Hontiveros, what initially started as a civic organization known as Socorro Bayanihan Services eventually transformed into a cult. She revealed video messages from minors seeking help due to reported abuse and coerced marriages at the hands of their leader, Jey Rence.
Rence, also known as “Senior Agila,” is declared by the cult to be the next “messiah” after his supposed reincarnation as Santo Niño. In February 2019, he used the Surigao del Norte earthquake to convince people to join him in the mountains, warning that those who did not comply would suffer eternal damnation.
“He warned those who did not follow him would burn in hell. As a result of these statements, there was a mass exodus to the mountain by thousands of members of the organization, now having all the indicators of a religious cult,” stated Hontiveros.
The senator noted a mass resignation of public school teachers and government workers, along with a concerning decline in student enrollment, as per local government records. Hontiveros alleged that the cult had been siphoning funds from government programs, including pensions and assistance programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis program.
Additionally, she claimed that the cult was involved in illegal drug trade and warned that their influence extended beyond Surigao, with their presence reportedly spreading to Manila and other parts of the country.
Eight children have managed to escape the cult and are currently under the care of local government authorities.
