SEN. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, yesterday accused Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of using religion as a smokescreen to allegedly abuse followers of his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJOC) religious sect.
During the hearing, which focused on allegations made by former KJOC members that the pastor is supposedly engaged in human trafficking, rape, and other human rights violations, four alleged victims recounted their ordeals allegedly in the hands of Quiboloy, who identifies himself as the “Appointed Son of God.”
Hontiveros said the committee will subpoena Quiboloy, who did not attend Tuesday’s inquiry, to compel him to attend the next hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
“Kayo Pastor ang dapat humarap sa susunod na pagdinig because you are being subpoenaed by this committee. Kahit ang Korte Suprema ay walang kapangyarihang pigilan ang ganitong inquiries ng Senado at ang pag-require sa mga taong humarap dito (You should be present in the next hearing because you are being subpoenaed by this committee. Even the Supreme Court has no authority to stop these Senate inquiries and it cannot stop people from attending the hearings),” Hontiveros said.
“Kawalan ng galang sa buong institusyon ng Senado ang inyong pagtangging humarap (It is a disrespect to the Senate as an institution if you continue to refuse to attend the hearing),” she added.
The senator alleged Quiboloy, just like Jay Rence Quilario, also known as “Senyor Aguila,” who is the leader of the Socorro Bayanihan Services sect, used religion as a coverup for his abuses.
“Kung paano ginamit ni Senyor Aguila ang bulag na panatisismo para linlangin ang mga miyembro ng kanyang kulto, ganoon din ginamit at patuloy na ginagamit ni Apollo Quiboloy ang bulag na panatisismo para abusuhin ang mga miyembro ng Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Just like Senyor Aguila who took advantage of his followers’ blind fanaticism, Apollo Quiboloy also employed and continues to use the blind fanaticism of members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to carry out his abuses),” Hontiveros said.
The former KJOC members accused Quiboloy of a broad range of violations, including rape, sexual exploitation, forced labor, and imposition of harsh punishments to members who reportedly defy his orders.
Alias Amanda, a Filipina who was physically present during the hearing, recounted how Quiboloy made her a “sex object” when she was still a minor.
Amanda named a certain Jackielyn Roy acted as a “bridge,” or go-between between the many abused women and the church leader.
She narrated that she was only 17 years old when she was first sexually abused by Quiboloy in 2014.
“Pinagsamantalahan ako ni Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. Bilang menor de edad, pinaniwala nila ako na hindi dapat kuwestiyunin ang pagsasamantala niya dahil mali na kuwestiyunin ang Ama (Pastor Apollo Quiboloy abused me. As a minor, they made me believe that I have no right to question what he did because it was wrong to cast doubt on the Father),” she said.
Two Ukrainians, who hid under the aliases Sofia and Nina and whose testimonies were video recorded, made similar allegations.
The two said they left their families and migrated to Davao City to become members of the religious sect.
Like Amanda, they said Roy also acted as their go-between to Quiboloy.
Nina said she traveled to Davao City in 2012 and became a “pastoral,” or a special assistant to the pastor, in 2013. She alleged that Quiboloy personally told her that if she wanted to become a pastoral, “you must sacrifice everything, including your body,” which the pastor purportedly later explained meant “you have to have sex with him.” She was a KJOC member until 2021.
Nina claimed Quiboloy supposedly slept with different pastorals each night.
“One time at night he came to me to my room to like, have sex, and I was crying, I said I don’t want and he got mad at me and he said ‘You’re going to hell because of that’,” Nina said.
Amanda said she was also sexually abused by the pastor, which she said was the reason that she left the KJOC because she can no longer tolerate what the church leader was doing.
She said she was even sued by Quiboloy for cyber libel for coming out in the open and exposing his alleged abuses on the internet.
Amanda, Sofia, and Nina belonged to the so-called “inner circle of pastorals” whose task were to “serve” Quiboloy without asking questions.
Sofia and Nina escaped from the congregation and were helped by an American.
Aside from sexual abuse, Quiboloy was also engaged in child labor.
Alias Jerome, a Filipino, told senators he was only 12 years old when he was first forced to sell rice cakes on the streets to raise funds for the KJOC.
He said he was allowed to go to school only if he had finished his daily chores, like cleaning the church floors and selling rice cakes.
Jerome said he was later told to stop attending school and just sell rice cakes and solicit funds for the church.
He alleged that the KJOC also created bogus foundations which it uses to solicit funds during the Christmas season.
CEASE AND DESIST
Meanwhile, the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) has ordered Quiboloy-owned broadcast operator Swara Sug Media Corp, also known as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), to stop its operations indefinitely for defying the 30-day suspension it slapped last month.
In a statement, the NTC said it issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against SMNI last January 18 after it found out that the broadcast network continued to operate in Region VI until December 27 despite the effectivity of the suspension order, which was issued on December 18 and received by SMNI on December 21.
It said the order will stay until it comes out with its decision on administrative case CN 2023-052, which accused SMNI of allegedly violating the terms and conditions of its franchise under Republic Act No. 11422, which the commission is still investigating.
The NTC also announced that it has denied the two petitions of SMNI seeking a bill of particulars and the inhibition of three commissioners from participating in the investigation.
In relation to the CDO, the NTC directed SMNI to explain in writing within 15 days from receipt of the order why it failed to strictly comply with the 30-day suspension order. — With Myla Iglesias
