MANILA (UPDATED) — Rape, human trafficking, made to swim in human feces. These and more are just some of the allegations leveled by Sen. Risa Hontiveros against leaders of the group, Socorro Bayanihan Services, Inc., which she labeled a cult that practices child marriage.

In her opening statement, Hontiveros accused SBSI leaders of excessive control, saying the leader of SBSI, Jey Rence Quilario or Senyor Agila, believes he is the "reincarnation" of the Santo Nino.

"Kakaiba din talaga ang charisma ni Jey Rence Quilario, o ang tinatawag na Senior Agila. Ayon sa ating mga witnesses, siya ay nagkakasal, nagbibinyag, nagpaparusa, nagbibigay ng atas sa araw-araw. Tama naman siya sa mga media interviews, hindi siya ang Diyos. Siya ang reincarnation ni Santo Nino. Siya ang Ginoo. Sus Ginoo!" Hontiveros remarked.

Hontiveros said some SBSI members were told to drop out of school, wear the same haircut and have their cellphones buried underground.

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Some of the members she interviewed told of various abusive practices including being ordered to swim in a pit full of urine and feces for breaking SBSI rules.

"Sabi din po ng aming nakapanayam, ang mga di sumunod daw sa rules, kinukulong sa tinatawag na 'fox hole', pinapaddle, o pinapaswimming sa tinatawag nilang aroma beach na isang hinukay na area na puno ng dumi at ihi ng tao," she said.

"Sa bundok ng Kapihan, sa mga kamay ng liderato ng kulto, may mga batang patuloy na inaabuso."

She said the cult allegedly had its own government, with its own ministry of budget and finance that collected money from the members.

The senator said some members as young as 12 years old were forced to enter into child marriages by the group's leader.

A check with the local civil registrar, however, reveals no record of the marriage, as well as birth and death records of members of the SBSI. This is because the cult's government, the Nueva Jerusalem Esperanza Ministry Government, issues its own birth, death and marriage certificates, she said.

"The cult is the vehicle they use to perpetrate the multiple abuses on the children of SBSI. The cult is the cover to avoid scrutiny, the cult is what they use to provide impunity to its leaders. The cult is what forces community members to look the other way even when abuse and exploitation happen right in front of their eyes. Sabi nga sa isang pelikula, 'If it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to abuse one.'"

Meanwhile alias "Koko" and "Renz" who are both less than 14 years old narrated their ordeal while forcibly being trained to be SBSI's young soldiers.

"Parang sundalo na training," Koko said.

Asked by Hontiveros why he escaped Sitio Kapihan, a tearful Renz said: "There is no education. I'm already 12 years old, yet I still cannot read or write."

Quilario quickly denied the allegations.

"Hindi yan totoo yan. Yung mga bata pinabayaan ko naman na lumabas. Hindi naman kinukulong," he said.

The Department of Justice earlier said members of SBSI migrated to the mountains of Sitio Kapihan in Brgy. N. Sering, Socorro, Surigao del Norte following an earthquake.

"Here, their leader, SENIOR AGILA, not only declared himself a divine entity but also forecasted a catastrophic event. This move was soon followed by a regimented restructuring where members were categorized based on age and abilities. They were also involved in constructing infrastructures and underwent stringent training regimes. Worryingly, even minors were not exempted from these duties," the DOJ said.

"Reported misconducts in the region comprised of mandatory labor, restrained freedom of movement, involuntary child marriages, and stringent penalties for those who defied, which included physical harm."

The Socorro Bayanihan Services earlier denied that it was a cult or that it facilitated child marriages and other abusive practices.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa meantime clarified that their probe is not an act of religious discrimination but a concern about possible exploitation, especially of minors.

"Every person has the right to practice his or her beliefs and religion, it is allowed by the state. But this right does not entitle one to inflict harm over another," the senator stressed.

Dela Rosa also took note of the existing 75 people's organizations in Surigao del Norte, which he said must be closely evaluated by the government.

—With a report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News