DSWD extending help to girl who sought Marcos help vs kagawad

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains mentions of child abuse. 

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Wednesday it was extending assistance to the 11-year-old girl from Camarines Sur who wrote a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., asking for help regarding an alleged abusive village official.  

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian met the girl in his office, along with the head of the shelter where she is staying at, and two other kids, on Tuesday. 

“Nung natuklasan ng Pangulo itong storya na ‘to, itong letter sa kanya, agad-agad niya akong inutusan na hanapin. Kahapon, yung shelter facility kasi mismo, may transaksyon na pending sa DSWD. Tinutulungan natin sila na maiayos yung kanilang mga permits. So kaya minabuti nung headmaster or yung shelter executive director na dalhin na rin yung little girl sa amin kasi nga nabalitaan niya na pinahahanap ng ating Pangulo,” Gatchalian said Wednesday. 

He said some village officials complained to DSWD about the shelter, Redeemer Homeless Mission, for supposedly not having the necessary paperwork. 

A DSWD team went to the shelter last week and upon evaluation, decided to give technical assistance to sort out the needed documents, instead of closing it down. 

“Ang narration sa akin kahapon nung mga bata at ng kanila mga magulang at ng shelter head, eh, naha-harrass sila. Pinuputulan ng kuryente, tinatanggalan ng tubig,” Gatchalian said. 

“Yung families, because of poverty, napipilitan sila na makitulog doon sa shelter. Kasi mga bahay nila either nasira ng calamity or wala talaga silang titirhan. So the shelter became a shelter for an entire family. At doon, tinutulungan silang magbasa. Yung mga bata,

tinuturuan silang magpunta sa school. Yung mga nanay tinuturuan din ng basic life skills,” he also said. 

“Ang unang instruction ng Pangulo, tulungan ‘tong shelter na to. Kasi ito yung naging refuge ng buong komunidad. So yun ang ginagawa namin,” Gatchalian added.

‘Very angry’ Marcos vows aid for 11-year old seeking help vs abusive kagawad 

DSWD

The department has also located the peer of the 11-year-old who was allegedly raped by the unnamed village official’s son and aide.

“Yung bata na na-rape three times is a special needs child. Nakasama nila doon sa shelter. So we're now helping them, helping the shelter, but also helping the individual children. Nandoon na yung mga social worker namin from the regional office, actually,” Gatchalian said. 

“Yung bata na na-rape at yung kanyang ina, from time to time, tumitira doon sa shelter. Kasi parang in and out sila eh. Ang intindi ko, dahil nandoon din lang yung bahay nila sa labas, but siyempre, yung mga bata natututo magbasa doon sa loob ng shelter, dinadala sila,” he continued. 

Financial and psycho-emotional help is being given to the rape victim, the 11-year-old girl, and other children in the shelter. 

According to Gatchalian, the President has instructed Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla to investigate the alleged abusive village official. 

DSWD will help in the case buildup against perpetrators. 

PNP CHECKING CASE

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that upon verification, a rape case was filed in 2023 and “is currently under trial at the Regional Trial Court, with the accused already in detention at Tinangis Penal Farm.”

“Follow-up operations were conducted to assess the situation on the ground and ensure that all concerns, especially those involving minors, are properly addressed,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said. 

“The PNP assures the public that reports affecting the safety of children are handled with urgency. We remain committed to thorough investigations, continued coordination with concerned agencies, and swift, appropriate action to protect every member of the community,” he added. 

The PNP said it also verified a separate complaint regarding missing electrical drop wires, which had been previously reported at the barangay level, although “mediation efforts were not completed due to the non-appearance of involved parties.”

Police Captain Jefrey Escolano, officer-in-charge of the Tinambac MPS, meanwhile said the supposed power interruption to the victim's foster home was attributed to damage from a storm.

He also said that barangay officials had disputed the victim's allegation that she saw the kagawad setting grass fires near the home. They said there was no evidence the fire was intentional.

Authorities are also looked into claims that the victim had been kidnapped by the barangay kagawad and brought to Montalban, Rizal to have her pregnancy from the alleged rape terminated.

"Nalaman po na ‘yung kasama po pala niyang pumunta ng Montalban ay ‘yung boyfriend niya po. Kasi ‘yung pagkasabi nung sa boyfriend ay maghahanap po sila ng trabaho doon. Pero patuloy pa rin po namin na sinisilip ang ibang anggulo dyan kasi baka nga merong mga itinatago pa," Escolano said.

He added that the victim suffered a miscarriage about a week after the trip to Rizal, with authorities still investigating whether it was intentional.