Jey Rence Quilario, known as “Senior Agila,” along with key members of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI), was arrested this Tuesday in a move against alleged criminal activities harming children. The arrests follow a series of Senate inquiries where it was disclosed that over a thousand children were victimized through various illegal practices.
The Justice Department reported that a regional trial court in Surigao del Norte issued warrants for 13 individuals, implicating them in 21 criminal violations. These include nine counts of qualified trafficking, eight counts of child abuse, and facilitating child marriage.
During the Senate hearings, shocking testimonies were heard, including from a minor known only as “Chloe,” who confirmed being forced to marry an adult and coerced into sexual activities.
Senator Riza Hontiveros, head of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, has backed the legal actions, which saw Quilario and three others cited for contempt for purportedly providing false testimony during the investigations.
The Justice Secretary has advocated for the trial to be relocated to Manila to ensure a fair and uninfluenced process.