THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday weighed in on the case against the fugitive evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, saying it is committed to safeguarding those who cannot protect themselves, notably minors who are victims of abuse such as human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

"As the agency tasked with safeguarding the well-being of our nation's most vulnerable, the DSWD cannot stay silent in the face of the serious charges against Mr. Apollo Quiboloy," the department said in an official statement on Monday.

"The allegations of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse of minors strike at the very core of what we stand for: protecting those who cannot protect themselves," the statement added.

The DSWD said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has frequently voiced his sincere concern over the suffering of the innocent.

"The President speaks for so many of us when he says that nothing is more painful than seeing a child in need, in pain, or left without hope. It is this same pain that drives our work at the DSWD," the department said.

It said that it is "particularly heartbreaking when prominent personalities who should be champions of justice and protectors of the defenseless choose to downplay these horrifying acts or identify themselves with those accused of such heinous crimes."

"We must never forget that behind every case are real children, real mothers, and real families who are suffering, and the DSWD stands with these victims," the DSWD said in a statement.

"We are committed to ensuring that they receive the justice they deserve and that their voices are heard," it added.

The department particularly urged all leaders and individuals to support legal procedures aimed at protecting the innocent and bringing offenders to justice.

"We stand firmly with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his commitment to creating a better future for every Filipino child, where no one is left behind or left to suffer alone," the DSWD statement concluded.

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