The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it will pursue legal and protective measures against a barangay official in Camarines Sur linked to alleged harassment and abuse at a shelter for children.
The agency said it is acting on the instructions of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after receiving a letter detailing allegations of abuse involving children in Barangay Caloco.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said social workers have been deployed to provide immediate psychosocial support to the alleged victims and other children staying at the shelter.
The case stemmed from a letter sent by an 11-year-old girl from Barangay Caloco to President Marcos, asking for government protection and assistance. In the letter, she claimed she and several other children had been abused by a barangay councilor and his two sons.
Gatchalian said he personally met with the child at the DSWD central office in Quezon City last week.
The child is a beneficiary of Redeemer Homeless Mission, a nonprofit group that provides education and shelter to homeless children.
To ensure accountability, the DSWD has also sought the assistance of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which has been instructed to investigate the barangay officials named in the complaint.
Aside from the abuse allegations, the children reportedly endured harassment, including the cutting off of electricity and water supply at the shelter.
Gatchalian said one of the suspects had already been imprisoned five years ago and is currently detained at Tinangis Penal Farm. The other suspect remains at large and is undergoing legal proceedings.
The DSWD said it will not close the shelter and will instead continue assisting it through financial support and technical assistance, including help in securing the documents needed for its continued operation.
