LEGAZPI CITY — Security personnel from the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army have been deployed to protect a female student and a local shelter in Tinambac, Camarines Sur, following reports of alleged sexual abuse and harassment involving a village councilor and his son.
The security detail was confirmed on Wednesday, April 1, by Camille Dowling, head of the Redeemer Homeless Mission, a nonprofit organization providing education and shelter to homeless children. The facility gained national attention earlier this week after an 11-year-old resident wrote a letter to the President detailing a pattern of abuse.
“The police and the Army have already come,” Dowling told Radyo Gwapito in a phone interview. She noted that the heightened security and government response followed the minor’s letter, dated March 30, which detailed allegations against a village official. The official is accused of not only harassment but also severing the shelter’s utility lines and stealing agricultural crops following the previous incarceration of his son.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has since taken an active role in the case. Secretary Rex Gatchalian met personally with Dowling and the young complainant on March 30. In an update released Wednesday, the DSWD Bicol field office confirmed that social workers and legal counsel are currently taking statements from the victims’ families to facilitate the filing of formal criminal charges.
One suspect linked to a 2023 rape case related to the matter is currently detained at Tinangis Penal Farm and is facing trial in the Regional Trial Court, according to records from both the DSWD and the PNP.
Beyond legal support, the DSWD stated on its website that victims at the shelter are receiving financial and psycho-emotional assistance. “Ipinag-utos ng Pangulo sa DSWD na tiyaking hindi sila nag-iisa sa kanilang laban. Mula sa psycho-emotional counselling, tulong pangkabuhayan para sa kanilang pamilya, hanggang sa paghahanap ng katarungan para sa tulad nilang mga biktima ng karahasan ay nakaalalay ang DSWD,” the agency said. (The President ordered the DSWD to ensure they are not alone in their fight. From psycho-emotional counseling and livelihood assistance for their families to seeking justice for victims of violence, the DSWD is here to support them.)
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has also been directed to investigate the village official implicated in the harassment. PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. confirmed on Wednesday that investigators are already on the ground in the affected village. “The PNP assures the public that reports affecting the safety of children are handled with urgency,” Nartatez said.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Dowling expressed relief at the rapid coordination between various levels of the government and law enforcement. “I know that the President and all concerned agencies are on it,” Dowling said during the radio interview. “We’re really, really grateful,” she added.| PIA-Bicol
