Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of rape and harrassment.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered immediate police intervention and protection for a group of sisters in Camarines Sur following a harrowing public plea from a primary school graduate detailing alleged sexual violence and systemic harassment by local officials.
The directive, issued Tuesday, came in response to an open letter posted on Facebook by a student from Barangay Caloco in the town of Tinambac. The letter, dated March 30, went viral for its raw depiction of life under the threat of violence and the alleged sabotage of basic utilities by community leaders.
"Question Mr. President, how will we read if we are being raped?" the student wrote. "How will we read if our own government people cut our electrical wire so we have no lights? How will we read if our kagawad cut our balon wires and so we have no water?"
The student, identifying herself as a Grade 6 graduate, emphasized that she and her sisters were caught in a localized political crossfire they did not understand.
"We are kids, we are not involved in your political parties," the letter read. "I just want to go to school without being raped."
In a personal response issued March 31, Marcos expressed both grief and outrage over the allegations, which implicate at least one barangay official in the rural village.
"Your letter has reached me and brought me close to tears and made me very angry," Marcos said in a statement addressed to the student. "I am sending policemen to you and your sisters to protect you and to find anyone who has hurt any of you."
The President pledged that the national government would intervene to ensure the girls' safety and their ability to return to their studies.
"I will make sure that you will be able to continue reading and studying as much as you want," the President added. "You are a very brave, intelligent, and very kind girl and I will make sure to help you and your sisters in any way you need."
Local authorities in Tinambac have not yet released a formal statement regarding the specific identities of the officials accused of cutting the family's water and electricity lines. However, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is expected to deploy personnel to the area immediately following the Chief Executive's direct order.
The case has sparked renewed national conversation regarding the vulnerability of children in far-flung provinces and the alleged abuse of power by low-level elective officials.
