On January 13, 2014, the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation executed an emergency rescue operation at Sankey Samaritan children’s home. The director of the home, Toto Luchavez, and his son, Jake Luchavez, were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and sexual abuse. Tom Randall, the funder of the home, was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice and being involved with human trafficking.
The NBI is the highest-level government investigative agency in the Philippines, patterned after the American FBI. The Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTRAD) is a group with specialized training in rescuing victims of abuse; they sometimes collaborate with anti-trafficking organizations such as International Justice Mission.
The investigation documents show that the NBI conducted a preliminary investigation and concluded that a rescue operation was necessary. After the rescue, multiple Sankey youths came forward with allegations of abuse to NBI investigators. Yet Joe Coffey and Tom Randall have both discounted the victim statements and accused Randall’s former colleague and missionary Joe Mauk of causing the raid and the arrests.
One has to wonder: how could a minor missionary in the Philippines control an investigation at the highest level of the Philippine government? And what could Joe Mauk have offered to convince so many young people to lie about abuse, when Tom Randall was already providing them with food, clothing, shelter, education, and a father-figure?
The following affidavit was filed by the NBI investigative team after conducting initial interviews with the rescued youths.
Excerpts:
The NBI AHTRAD, after taking into consideration the statements made by {Redacted}, {Redacted}, and victim {Redacted}, concluded that the wards of the orphanage are under constant and persistent threat of sexual and psychological abuse from their supposed guardians. And as a result, a rescue operation was planned with the goal of rescuing all the wards staying at the orphanage.
During the investigation, statement of the victim were taken establishing of the following:
That there were at least three orphans who were raped inside the orphanage by the maintainer or former maintainer of the orphanage. Victim {Redacted} and {Redacted} were made to perform fellatio by Subject Mark Jayrold “Jake” Luchavez when the victim were 13 and 11 years olds respectively. Victim {Redacted} was made to perform fellatio with “mayonnaise”by dorm parent Melvin Garcia when she was 11 or 12 years old.
There exist a pattern of continuing sexual abuse and exploitation occurring inside the orphanage’s premises with the maintainer, specifically Subject Perfecto ‘Toto” Luchavez as the sexual predator. (Statements of the victims {Redacted}, {Redacted}, {Redacted}, {Redacted})
The reason for the sexual abuses not being reported to the authorities are that the surrogate parents (maintainers/dorm parents) exercise moral ascendancy over the orphans.
That the orphans fear that exposing what is happening inside the orphanage may lead to them being deprived of material and financial support and curtailment of their educational privileges.
That victims’ right to communicate to person outside the orphanage were strictly monitored, specifically the use of cellphone and internet
That there exist a continuing and pervasive threat of violence and intimidation (showing and displaying of firearms) coming from executive director of the orphanage, Toto Luchavez.
(See Statement of the orphans/victims)
During the rescue operation Subject Thomas “Uncle Tom” Randall received the undersigned NBl agents and in the process tried to conceal the complicity of Subject Toto Luchavez by stating that the latter is no longer connected with Sankey Samaritan Missions. However, statements made by the victims clearly show that Luchavez still runs the day-to-day operations of the orphanage. Randall was also informed on several occasions by the victims and concerned individuals that sexual abuses were occurring inside the orphanage, but for reasons known only to him, Subject Randall chose to ignore the complaints.