Thursday, March 27, 2008 Father of 3 minors allegedly held inside hut file complaint v. wife, sister-in-law
A COMPLAINT for serious illegal detention and child abuse were filed yesterday against two leaders of the “religious group” that allegedly held 11 children inside a cramped hut for six days in Carmen town.
Edilberto Sayson, father of three of the detained minors, impleaded his wife, group leader Jessica Sayson, and her sister, Leonora Robusto, the owner of the hut, in an affidavit submitted to the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.
He submitted the joint affidavit of six group members who were inside the hut, together with the 11 children. They said they were forced and threatened to stay inside.
“We were prevented by Leonora Robusto and Jessica Sayson to go out from the said house since March 20 until we were rescued and taken by the police and (social workers),” said Jose Dioscoro, Marnel Velez, Nestor and Marilyn Golez, and Angelo and Marites Pasaje.
“We were threatened by Leonora Robusto and Jessica Sayson that something bad will happen to us if we will forcibly leave the house and that the duo will only leave the house if they received the message coming from Dios Amahan allowing us to go home,” they said.
But in the rescue, the members were seen kicking and screaming while being taken into custody.
Edilberto, in the affidavit-complaint, recounted again how he was with the group inside the Robusto hut in Sitio Bito in Barangay Baring of Carmen town when they first gathered inside last March 20, Holy Thursday.
Their purpose, he said, was to pray.
However, Jessica forbade them from leaving after the prayers had ended and kept all of them inside the house by telling them that there were bad elements outside.
Worried
He said he informed his father-in-law, Jessica’s father, of what was going on and, last March 22, forced his way out.
He said he began to seriously worry when he found out that two of those inside, the Pasajes, had already entrusted all their properties and domesticated animals to a certain Bebe.
Moreover, he said, even Jessica’s father wanted his daughter and grandchildren brought out.
It was at this point that he went to seek assistance from Barangay Baring tanods who informed the police.
Meanwhile, the minors who were rescued from the hut were not brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 office in Cebu City yesterday as earlier planned.
The minors will temporarily stay at a crisis center for women in Carmen. DSWD 7 Information Officer Jaybee Carillo said that instead of transporting the minors, they sent two senior social workers to assess their situation and assist the Carmen municipal social workers.
Crisis center
Carillo said that a medical check-up for the minors was conducted after the rescue operation and the results showed that they are physically fit.
“We have a crisis center for women in Carmen that is temporarily sheltering them. The next possibility would be to send them to their relatives. Meanwhile, our municipal social workers and two from our central office are ensuring that their basic needs are taken care of while in temporary shelter,” she told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview.
Carillo also said that Batang Pinangga, a non-government organization based in Carmen, can also help local social welfare officials. It is licensed by DSWD to operate as a welfare agency.
Intervention
DSWD identified 21 persons involved in the case, with 12 of them minors. The minors were with their parents. Of the eight adults, six are mothers and two are fathers.
The eldest minor is 17 years old while the youngest is just one year old.
Social Welfare Officer Emma Patalinghug said that they are still assessing if there is a need to file a case of child abuse against Jessica.
Carillo said the DSWD will be guided on what to do based on this assessment and on the results of the case conference yesterday afternoon between DSWD, municipal health personnel, and the 21 persons. Possible interventions include debriefing and counseling.
As of yesterday afternoon, DSWD 7 has not yet received an official report from the municipal social workers of Carmen.
She said the case could also be an entry point for them not just to provide psychosocial services but also economic aid, if it is determined that poverty caused the incident. (KNR/NRC)
