A former member the alleged cult, Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc., confirmed Thursday that the group forced young SBSI members to marry.

Mark Vergel Gaisano, who left the group in August 2022, said his own sister who was 12 years old was "paired" with another SBSI member and forced to marry at a young age. Another member earlier said the pairings were chosen by alleged cult leader Jey Rence Quilario alias Senior Agila.

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One time, he said he and other members of SBSI security had to pursue a young girl who refused to marry her chosen husband.

"Pinipilit po na sila ay ikasal. Kahit hindi pumapayag 'yung minor, pilit na kinakasal kasi sugo ng Diyos...We ran after her and we dragged her so kinasal talaga sila," Gaisano said in a Senate hearing.

He said the pairings were usually recommended by SBSI official Janeth Ajoc and two other members. Ajoc, however, denied recommending the pairings of SBSI members.

Alias Jane, another ex-SBSI member, earlier said the forced marriages were usually between girls as young as 12 years old and male members as young as 18.

She said she was only 14 years old when she was forced to marry another SBSI member who was 18 at the time.

In her testimony, Jane said the husbands were allowed to rape their wives in order to consummate the marriage.

• Alias Jane: Socorro Bayanihan child marriages allowed rape

"After sa kasal, kailangan silang magsiping at sinabi ni Jey Rence na authorized ka nang kunin o rape-in 'yung wife mo kasi kasal naman kayo. Kailangan makuha sila in 3 days."