Senator urges gov’t aid for ‘cult’ victims after land deal termination --- Gaea Katreena Cabico - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The government should protect the welfare of the residents of a mountain community in Surigao del Norte after the environment department terminated its land grant agreement with them, a senator said on Tuesday. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced on Monday the cancelation of its Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement (PACBRMA) with the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI), an alleged cult involved in human trafficking and child abuse. The cancelation order directs SBSI members to vacate the 353-hectare land awarded to the organization in 2004, dismantle their houses, and harvest their crops “within a reasonable period of time.” “There should be an assurance of a proper reintegration and rehabilitation plan for the community,” said Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who exposed the group as a “cult” that allegedly forced marriages and maintained a private army. “Our agencies, together with the local government of Socorro and Surigao del Norte, should collaborate to safeguard the welfare of the residents of Kapihan. They are also victims of poverty who were forced to cling to the promises and deception of Senior Agila,” Hontiveros added. Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga on Monday assured the relocation of residents in the area would be “humane and peaceful.” Joselin Marcus Fragada, DENR undersecretary for field operations in Mindanao, said the agency is already “in the process of carefully crafting the next steps, including the timetable of their move out.” Over 1,400 families are residing in the mountain village called “Kapihan.” The community’s population grew after ‘Senior Agila’ persuaded residents to join him on the mountain after an earthquake in 2019. The DENR terminated its protected area management agreement with SBSI due to violations, which include the establishment of settlements and checkpoints, construction of access roads, basketball and volleyball courts, wave pool, recording studio, and gymnasium, and the organization’s failure to submit reports on their resource management plan. In November 2023, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested Quilario and other members of SBSI for alleged violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 and other human rights abuses.

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