Authorities keep a close eye on the security situation and the activities of an alleged cult in the mountains of Surigao del Norte.
Pinky Webb speaks with Caraga police chief Kirby John Kraft.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
Pinky Webb speaks with Caraga police chief Kirby John Kraft.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Welcome to The Source where we combine the headlines with in-depth conversations with
00:06 the newsmakers themselves. I'm Pinky Webb. Today on the program, authorities keep a close
00:11 eye on the security situation and the activities of an alleged cult in the mountains of Surigao
00:17 del Norte. Taraga police chief Kirby John Kraft joins us in the program. And later,
00:24 local fishermen are encouraged to continue fishing in Scarborough Shoal despite the presence
00:29 of Chinese vessels. And word war on the removal of the floating barrier in Bajo Demas in Lok
00:37 heats up. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay
00:41 Tariella tells us more later in the show.
00:54 Four members of an alleged cult, Socorro Bayanian Services, are now and still in government
01:01 custody and they are open to unmasking the illegal activities in the community. Senator
01:07 Rizal Tivero says the testimony of the four members are vital to hold the leaders accountable
01:12 and convince others still in Sitio Capihan to leave the group that is allegedly allowing
01:17 child marriages, rape and even child labor. Authorities, meanwhile, are keeping a close
01:22 watch on Sitio Capihan to ensure peace and order amid allegations that members are being
01:27 barred from leaving the area. Let's go straight to the source of the story. First off, we
01:32 have Caraga Regional Director, Police Brigadier General Kirby John Kraft. General Kraft, good
01:39 to speak to you again. Welcome to the source, sir.
01:42 General, paulit lang po, medyo nawala po yung ating line of communication. Can you hear
01:52 me sir?
01:53 Yes ma'am. Mamayong bundag po at sa lahat ng mga nakikinig sa atin sa oras na ito.
01:59 Magandang umaga po. General can you just tell us, ano na po ang sitwasyon sa Socorro ngayon?
02:06 What is the overall situation?
02:07 Ma'am on the part of our Philippine National Police, the peace and order in the area is
02:15 being maintained. So for now, the outpost or the gate of Sitio Capihan where the Socorro
02:28 Bayanian Service Incorporation is located has been taken over by our Socorro Police
02:33 Station and our Provincial Mobile Force Battalion.
02:37 What does it mean? General, what do you mean when you say the outpost of Sitio has been
02:42 taken over? Ibig sabihin, ilan ho ba, sino ho ba yung nakabantay doon to begin with and
02:49 how were they asked to leave so that the police will take over?
02:53 Opo ma'am. Dati po kasi hindi basta nakakapasok doon dahil meron silang entrance gate doon.
03:01 Puso na papasok doon ay inaharam, binibigang ng visitor's ID. Sila po yung nagpapatupad kung
03:11 sino pwede papasokin at hindi papasokin. So ngayon, ahawak na po ito ng PNP so meron
03:19 na po tayong free travel sa area ngayon.
03:21 So right now, what it means is anybody can enter and leave, ganun ba?
03:27 Opo. Yan po ang ating pinatutupad sa area nayon.
03:31 So what's interesting to find out General is that meron ho bang mga umaalis? Kasi hindi
03:37 ho ba the talk is or the allegation is you can't enter and you can't leave. Hindi dawng
03:44 makapasok ng ganun-ganun lang at hindi din makakaalis ng ganun-ganun lang. Kaya ang
03:48 sinasabi ilan doon sa mga testigo ay tumakas, hindi ho ba? So meron na ho bang mga miembro
03:56 at the moment or in the past days or since the Senate hearing na umalis sa sityo, dyan
04:02 sa bundok at bumaba sa poblasyon?
04:06 "Kasi doon sa monitoring natin meron pumalabas na pero dahil doon din sila nakatira bumabalik
04:15 din naman po sila sa area nayon. So ang ano lang dito wala na pong mag-hold sa kanila
04:20 na makalabas masok sa area nayon."
04:23 So they're free to enter and leave. And what is the police saying sir? Nakakausap ho ba
04:29 nila yung mga bumababa mula sa sityo at bumabalik? And what are they saying?
04:35 "Ma'am sa ngayon din po naglagay din po tayo ng police assistance desk. Doon mismo sa gitna,
04:44 yung pinakasentro po nung barangay. Kunsan meron silang buluagan, kunsan dun tinatanggap
04:51 lahat ng mga bisita. Ngayon meron tayo ng police assistance desk. Nakakausap naman
04:58 ang mga police natin. Sutuwa sila na felt po nila presence ng kapolisyan doon. Bukod
05:12 po doon ma, nagkakondak na rin tayo ng mobile at patrol tuwing umaga at tuwing gabi sa area
05:19 nayon. Kasi po yun po ay 353 hectares po yung lugar po ng kapiha na yon."
05:26 Right. Napakalawak. Yung iba sinasabi 353, some are saying it's 333 hectares. But whatever
05:33 it is general, napakalawak po ng area na yan. So doon sa police assistance desk, I'm interested
05:41 to find out, has there been, meron ba naging mga reklamo so far?
05:45 "Sa ngayon wala pa tayo on the record. Nagaantay tayo kung mayroon magco-complaint. So sa ngayon
05:52 wala pa tayo napatanggap ng reklamo."
05:54 And has there been any form of request from the police to assist members of the SBI who
06:03 possibly want to leave sityo Kapiha? Nagkaroon ba ng ganoon klaseng apila?
06:09 "Sa ngayon ma'am wala pa rin po. Inaantay rin po natin. Kaya nga po natin ipinasok na yung
06:15 police sa loob para kung may mga ganyang reklamo, ma-actionan po agad natin."
06:20 So they're really staying there? Ganoon po lumalabas ni Huba? In spite of the police presence,
06:26 nananatili po yung mga miembro ng SBSI sa sityo Kapihan?
06:31 "Oo. Yung bahay nila doon na sila nakatira."
06:37 In fact there was a report ni Huba General that yung kanila mga lumang bahay, they've
06:43 abandoned those homes pag-akiat po nila doon sa bundok sa sityo Kapihan.
06:49 Are you getting ready? And what kind of measures are you undertaking, sir, with regards to the PNP?
06:58 After the order of the DENR to suspend land agreement use with SBSI?
07:08 "Yun ma'am, mayro'n tayong direct contact sa DENR so we are just waiting kung ano maging-ing order nila.
07:19 May proseso yan na atin ipatutupad kung sakaling dumating po tayo sa point na yan."
07:26 So ngayon status quo po muna?
07:29 "Yun po, wala pa tayong nare-receive na order or request mula sa DENR."
07:36 I believe sometime this week or in the next few days, General, magkakaroon po ng pulong
07:43 ang local government and the DENR regarding this land use, suspension ng land use due
07:50 to alleged violations sa bundok kung saan naninirahan at the moment ang membro ng SBSI.
07:58 So far so good, I guess, General.
08:02 "Opo, toto po."
08:11 Caragay Regional Director General Kirby Craft, sir, we've lost you on the line.
08:18 The signal isn't so good, but just the same, sir, thank you so much for your time.
08:23 Coming up, the Philippine Coast Guard rejecting China's claim the Philippines fabricated its story
08:29 of removing the floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal.
08:32 PCG spokesperson for the West Philippines Sea, J. Tariela, tells us more after the break.
08:40 This is The Source on CNN Philippines. Please stay tuned.
08:43 [music]
08:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]