Manila 6th District Representative and House Committee and Human Rights Chair Benny Abante urged the Bureau of Immigration (BI) not to rush the deportation of American pastor Jeremy Ferguson, who is accused of child abuse in Pampanga, until a proper and thorough investigation is conducted.
Abante stressed that while the welfare of children must always be prioritized, allegations of this gravity require “the fullest measure of due process.”
“The more serious the allegations, the greater the need to establish the truth with care and impartiality,” the veteran legislator said.
“We must do what is necessary to protect our children, but we must do so consistent with the basic principles of human rights.”
“We must do what is necessary to protect our children, but we must do so consistent with the basic principles of human rights. Justice is not served when we pre-judge a man before the evidence has been fully weighed,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
According to Abante, he had received reports that the child care facility of Pastor Ferguson has been in operation for eight years with proper permits. It has also undergone regular quarterly monitoring by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) without prior complaints, and has regularly received referrals from nearby city and municipal social welfare offices.
Abante said he was made aware that the two minors who filed complaints were recent referrals from the Angeles City Social Welfare and Development Office—one having stayed at the facility for two months and the other for just one week.
The DSWD later visited the facility and interviewed the children on August 12, then conducted a raid the following day, August 13, forcibly taking the children despite their resistance. That night, at around 10 p.m., DSWD personnel returned with a SWAT team to arrest Ferguson.
Abante said these reports should be investigated, as they “highlight the need for a fair inquiry before any deportation proceedings.”
“As legislators, we are deeply concerned about the welfare of children; but we are also sworn to uphold the rule of law,” he said.
“Let us not forget that both the children and the accused are entitled to justice—and justice requires truth, not haste.”
“Let us not forget that both the children and the accused are entitled to justice—and justice requires truth, not haste.” Abante said citing Proverbs 18:13—“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”
He appealed to the BI and relevant agencies to “allow the facts to be established and the proper processes to be observed before any irreversible action is taken.”
“The eyes of the public are on this case. How we handle it will reflect not just on our institutions, but on our nation’s commitment to fairness, compassion, and the rule of law,” Abante concluded.
