Passions Rising with this story

As a child, life at home was difficult for Alina*. Living with 11 other children in an impoverished community in the Philippines, there was never enough to go around. When a distant aunt asked Alina to come and stay with her family to care for her child and help around the house, Alina saw a chance for stability. “I instantly said yes,” she remembers. Alina moved to her aunt’s house, anxious to leave the chaos of home behind.

In her new home, Alina had food to eat. She had enough money to take the bus to school. She was part of a family.

But everything changed when her aunt’s husband returned to the family home. A high-ranking police officer, he had been assigned to a far-off municipality when Alina first moved in.

“I want to give [other clients] courage by letting them know that they are a blessing.” – Alina
Alina (pictured with an IJM social worker) now helps other victims of abuse as they seek justice.

“I love hosting and organizing events.”
Alina helps lead an event at a recent gathering for participants in IJM Manila’s S.T.A.R. program.

Upon his return, he sexually assaulted 11-year-old Alina and threatened her with violence if she told anyone about the abuse.

Alina had no voice. She was a young girl from a poor family, and her assailant was a man of influence in the community because of his position on the police force. For several months, Alina remained silent – afraid to speak against him or to even tell anyone what had happened to her. The pain and humiliation of the assault were compounded by the fact that there was no response to it.

“With [my uncle’s] return, I faced a prisonlike existence. … I was trapped in my brokenness, my silence and my fears for a long time,” Alina remembers.

But someone was willing to speak up for Alina. IJM Manila’s team of attorneys learned of her case. They began working with local authorities to secure the arrest and prosecution of her attacker. Alina had an advocate and a chance for justice.

IJM legal staff are pursuing justice for Alina in court. The process has lasted more than five years – in the Philippine judicial system, court proceedings can be particularly long and protracted – but the trial against her abuser is moving forward. Alina is not giving up, and neither are the IJM attorneys standing with her.

IJM also filed an official complaint against Alina’s uncle with the Philippine National Police, seeking his dismissal from the force. It took more than four years of advocacy on behalf of Alina, but when the Philippine National Police issued their decision, the message was clear. Alina’s abuser was dismissed from the force for conduct unbecoming of a police officer.

And today, the girl who once had no voice is a young woman with a strong presence and a passion to stand for justice. IJM aftercare staff continue to walk alongside her as she pursues her goals for the future. She is attending college, where she is majoring in mass communications. “Broadcasting is my passion,” she explains. “I want to share with other people the knowledge, the experience and the lessons that I have learned in life.”

Alina is also pursuing this passion for helping others by advocating for and supporting other victims through IJM Manila’s S.T.A.R. program. As a part of the S.T.A.R. program, Alina helps other victims of abuse prepare to testify against their perpetrators in court – a process that can be extremely difficult. “I can put myself in their shoes and understand them,” she says. “The main reason why I am doing this is to help them come out triumphantly from the situation.” Today, Alina is a voice of hope to new clients in the Manila office, sharing her own story and encouraging them through the process of seeking justice.