When Safety Is Lost, Education Fails

Author's Note: Though full images and videos of the child have already been posted and published, I opted not to show them in this post for personal reasons. I have, however, posted the link to the shelter's FB page as one of my sources for this story for those interested.

On March 30, 2026, an eleven-year-old girl named Maureen wrote a letter that reached President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She belongs to Redeemer Homeless Mission, a shelter that provides education and support to homeless children and families.

Her letter described the conditions children in their community continue to face. She shared her simple truth. She said she loves to read and learn. Then she asked a question that people much older than her would never have dared ask the President of a country: “Mr. President, how will we read if we are being raped? ”This is a question that should not exist in any child’s world, yet it came from the reality she lives in.

She then spoke about what happened to her sister, who was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual abuse by a son of a barangay councilor while on her way home from school. After the first incident, she became pregnant. She was reportedly taken away and again subjected to abuse by the person who accompanied her to terminate the pregnancy, after which she stopped attending school.

Her letter also cited prior allegations involving another victim connected to the same official’s family, which led to detention and an ongoing trial in court. Following these incidents, families in the area reportedly experienced coercion and deprivation of basic services. They were left without water and electricity, making daily life even more difficult.

This story is not only about individual harm but also about the misuse of authority. When those entrusted to protect communities become the source of fear, the impact spreads beyond one family. It weakens trust, silences victims, and forces entire communities into conditions where they struggle to survive in fear.

We often hear that education is the path out of poverty. Governments invest in programs, schools encourage attendance, and parents are told to keep their children in class. My sister, who works with a non-government organization, once shared how they provided free meals to families just to help keep children in school. These efforts matter, but they rest on one basic condition: safety. Without safety, access to education loses its meaning.

What does it mean to tell a child to stay in school when the road to school is dangerous? What does it mean to promote reading when a child fears going home? These are not abstract questions. They reflect a reality that many children in communities like Maureen’s quietly endure.

She did not ask for sympathy in her letter. She asked for protection. This is a basic right owed to every child and every human being, and it is a shared responsibility across families, communities, and institutions.

At the family level, vigilance is essential. It’s important that parents and guardians know where their children are, who they are with, and what risks they may face.

At the community level, there should be clear accountability and consistency. No position of authority should shield anyone from the consequences of wrongdoing.

At the government level, action must be swift, visible, and firm. If a child speaks about being harassed or sexually assaulted, the government must have measures set in place to respond swiftly and deal with it without delay. Protection mechanisms must work not only on paper but in real situations where children are most vulnerable.

When authority is abused, the damage extends beyond immediate victims. Children begin to associate power with fear. Communities learn to stay silent to avoid retaliation. Over time, silence becomes part of everyday life, allowing injustice to continue unless people choose to speak, communities choose to listen, and authorities choose to act.

That an eleven-year-old child understands injustice this clearly is deeply unsettling. Maureen spoke of fear, disrupted lives, and families trying to survive under pressure because those who were expected to protect them instead deprived them of even their most basic needs to intimidate and control.

Despite all of this, she still expressed hope. She spoke for children like her who simply want to go to school and learn without being harmed. These are basic rights, yet many children are still deprived of them.

Her question reflects a reality that cannot and should never be ignored. A child cannot learn while living in fear and trauma in an environment where safety itself is uncertain.

There is no perfect system, but there are clear responsibilities. Children need safe homes, safe schools, and safe communities. They need adults who act as protectors, not as threats. They need systems that respond with urgency and fairness.

Maureen’s question is not hers alone. It is now ours. It asks what we are doing to ensure that no child has to choose between education and safety.

Because no child should ever have to ask how they can learn while living in fear.

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Sources:

Reeemer Homeless Mission (FB Page):

https://www.facebook.com/redeemerhomelessmissionhttps://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AoVCP49Bw/

• Philippine Daily Inquirer

Title: 11-year-old asks Marcos: How can we read if we are being raped?

Date: March 30, 2026

Link: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2204772/11-year-old-asks-marcos-how-can-we-read-if-we-are-being-raped

• Philippine News Agency

Title: Marcos orders probe, protection over child’s abuse report

Date: March 31, 2026

Link: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1272207

• Philippine Information Agency

Title: Marcos orders probe, protection over child’s abuse report

Date: April 2, 2026

Link: https://pia.gov.ph/news/11-year-old-who-wrote-pbbm-gets-govt-protection-vs-abusive-village-official/