Philippines doomsday ‘cult’ accused of child sex abuse

Mindanao, Philippines – An obscure religious movement, believed to be promoting an imminent end-of-the-world ideology, has been accused of engaging in sexual violence and forced marriage of its own members, including children.

The Socorro Bayanihan Services, which was originally a civic organisation, has morphed into a quasi-religious group that is also allegedly involved in extorting money from its members, as well as the drug trade in the town of Socorro, an island in Mindanao.

The organisation, now known as Omega de Salonera, has at least 3,500 members, including 1,580 children. They are reportedly sequestered in a mountain enclave “heavily guarded” by its members, Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a speech in the Senate of the Philippines on Monday night.

“This is a harrowing story of rape, sexual violence, child abuse, forced marriage perpetrated on minors by a cult. This cult is armed and dangerous,” Hontiveros added, citing witness accounts.

In recent weeks, at least eight children managed to escape from the mountain community and provided harrowing first-person testimonies to the authorities in Socorro town.

‘Forced marriage’

A 15-year-old with the pseudonym Chloe testified by video that the leader of the group, Jey Rence B Quilario, forced her to get married to a 21-year-old man when she was 13 years old.

Quilario is revered by members of the group and claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus and the world’s new saviour. He is also referred to as The Messiah.

On multiple occasions, Quilario allegedly locked up Chloe in a room with her new spouse and forced her to engage in sex with him.

Quilario also allegedly told the husband “he has the right to rape her” because they were married, Chloe tearfully recalled.

Chloe