A MILITANT lawmaker yesterday slammed Vice President Sara Duterte for coming to the defense of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, alleging the second highest elected official of the land is coddling an alleged rapist and human trafficker.
“Hindi ba alam ni Vice President Duterte ang sandamukal na mga kaso ni Quiboloy dito at sa ibang bansa? Kahit na sa ibang bansa? ‘Yung women and child abuse, may mga involve pa na mga pag-eexport ng mga baril. etc (Doesn’t Vice President Duterte know that Quiboloy is facing numerous cases abroad? There’s women and child abuse and there’s also the involvement in exporting of guns, etc.),” Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT) said in a statement.
The Vice President last Tuesday hit what she described as the “trial by publicity” that Quiboloy has supposedly been subjected to, stressing that “justice and the truth cannot be achieved in trial by publicity but by a day in court.”
“So parang napakasamang ehemplo ang pinapakita ni Vice President Duterte dahil sa tingin natin ay coddler siya ni Quiboloy na isang akusadong rapist ng mga bata (Vice President Duterte is setting an extremely bad example because we believe she is a coddler of Quiboloy, who is a child rapist),” Castro said.
Castro said the least that the Vice President could do is “to advise his friend Pastor Quiboloy to attend the hearings of the Senate and the HoR (House of Representatives) as well as face his alleged criminal offenses in court here and abroad.”
Castro reminded the Vice President that in the United States, Quiboloy is charged with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.
The educator-turned-lawmaker also pointed out that the Department of Justice is also investigating Quiboloy for sexual abuse of a minor and qualified human trafficking.
The Senate is investigating the self-proclaimed “appointed son of god” for alleged human trafficking, labor violations and other related offenses, while the House of Representatives has ordered his arrest for franchise violations of his Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
The House has already approved on second reading House Bill (HB) No. 9710 seeking the termination of the franchise of Swara Sug Media Corporation, operating as SMNI, for various violations, particularly the spreading of fake news and red-tagging of critics of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
He has also been cited in contempt by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises after he snubbed its invitation four times to attend committee hearings.
“Payo namin kay Quiboloy: hindi ka god, (hindi) appointed son of god at dapat kang sumunod sa rule of law at dapat maging accountable ka doon sa mga kasong inihain laban sa ‘yo at harapin mo ito sa korte at harapin mo rin ang kongreso, ang senado (Our advice to Quiboloy: You’re not a god, you’re not an appointed son of god, and you should follow the rule of law and be held accountable for the charges against you and face it in court while also facing Congress, the Senate),” Castro said.
The House committee last week cited Quiboloy in contempt to force him to answer lawmakers’ questions after he repeatedly snubbed the committee’s invitations and a subpoena.
The embattled pastor was given until last Friday to show up after his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio pleaded to the panel chaired by Parañaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting but he still did not present himself, prompting the committee to order the House Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest him.
SMNI lawyers led by Mark Tolentino and former Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico have been insisting that the televangelist does not own SMNI anymore and is only its honorary chairman.
