To protect and serve
Sabakan provides therapy to help Philippino youngsters overcome the trauma of abuse, and supports them to seek legal justice
Ten-year-old Ronel cries as he recalls how he felt when he was brutally arrested by Philippino police and thrown into an adult jail last year.
Surrounded by hardened criminals, Ronel, together with his friend and brother were held for 24 hours in a cell, accused of a crime they didn’t commit.
In Mindanao, one of the southern islands in the Philippines archipelago, abuse of women and children is rife but there is no support for families who have been abused.
Living in fear
Ronel’s friend Juliebert, 14, said: “[The police] kept asking us if we had stolen the money and they kept hitting me telling me to admit it.
"In the end I did because it was so painful. I’m angry with them for making me admit it. If I see them now I’m afraid of what they’ll do.
“If a crime happened to me or my family now I wouldn’t go to the police because I don’t trust them.
“The prison was smelly and dirty and the toilet which wasn’t clean was in the room too. We had to take off our clothes when we slept. There were a lot of grown up prisoners in there and also some other children.”
CAFOD’s partner Sabakan works with these boys and their families, providing therapy and counselling to help them overcome the trauma as well as legal support to help them seek justice.
Cases of abused children and women are referred to Sabakan co-ordinator Inday Yap, 57, by priests and parish workers. Sabakan also provides training on gender awareness and children’s rights.
“Parishes are more aware of the issues faced by women and children after our training,” she says. "Church organisations go from house to house visiting families to give teachings for catechism, marriage, baptism and so on.
"Some of them are now looking out for any signs of abuse and referring families to us. One of our greatest achievements was to persuade the government to open a women’s refuge after the first incest case was referred to us. Three girls had been abused by their father and needed a safe place to stay.
“I always knew abuse was a real problem here but it was never talked about. I have learned so much because of the people I’ve met and the stories I’ve heard.
"It’s so inspiring to be in the communities we work with. They are very open to accept us. The more people experience our work, the more acceptable it becomes to them.
“I think we also need to work more as a pressure group to the government. Sometimes we feel they are just handing us the responsibility to protect and defend women and children but it’s not our role it’s theirs.
“It has been great working in partnership with CAFOD. Personally I don’t see CAFOD as simply a funding agency, I see it as a real partner.
"Every year we see our programme officer and other visitors. CAFOD has a face and it’s about friendship and people.”
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