SENATE deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday asked Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to issue an arrest order against Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy as she dismissed as unsatisfactory the explanation of the pastor’s camp to justify his repeated snub of the Senate’s probe on his alleged abuses against former members of his religious group.
Hontiveros said the Senate Committee on Women, which is investigating the allegations of abuses against Quiboloy, has assessed the pastor’s response to the show cause order issued by the panel last week and found that his “explanation is nowhere near satisfactory.
“They did nothing but rehash previous arguments they made for not attending our Senate hearings,” said Hontiveros in a press conference.
Hontiveros issued a show cause order to Quiboloy last week asking him to justify why the Senate should not order his arrest for his repeated refusal to attend her committee’s hearings.
In response to the show cause order, Quiboloy, through his lawyer Melanio Elvis Balayan, submitted his response also last week.
In the letter, Balayan asked the Senate panel to set aside the contempt citation on his client, recall the subpoenas issued to the pastor, and stop the issuance of the arrest order.
He likewise asked the panel to submit the show cause order to the plenary for discussion and approval.
Balayan said requiring his client to physically attend the committee hearings is “tantamount to usurpation of judicial functions (which is) beyond the powers of the Senate.”
He added that the resolution filed by Hontiveros for the hearing on Quiboloy’s alleged crimes against his former members is “incriminatory as it categorically declared the guilt” of the KOJC leader, which he said is in total disregard of the judicial process which presumes a person innocent unless proven otherwise by a competent court.
He also said the non-appearance of Quiboloy at the committee hearings should not be considered as a “sign of disrespect,” as he insisted that “the criminal allegations against him can only be legitimately settled before the competent courts.”
Hontiveros rebuked Balayan, saying that at least two invitations were sent to Quiboloy before a subpoena was issued. The contempt citation and show cause order, she added, was prompted by the pastor’s snub of the subpoena.
Hontiveros also denied the Quiboloy camp’s allegation that the hearings are purely political, stressing that the investigation is being conducted in aid of legislation and intends to fill gaps in existing laws, “including the question of ‘consent’ in rape and sexual abuse in the context of secretive charismatic religious organizations, the treatment of ‘religious volunteers’ in labor and occupational safety laws, and liabilities for human trafficking and other capital crimes when religious freedom is invoked.”
“Again, we never claimed to be the judge. Hindi po hukom ang Senado (The Senate is not a court). A Senate resolution has no effect and force of law and can make no such legal determination of guilt or deprive anyone, including Quiboloy, of life, liberty, or property as a result of its material averments or findings,” she said.
She cited the case of Romero versus Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment where the Supreme Court said that despite the pendency of a criminal or administrative case, the Senate is allowed to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation.
“And very clear held that the ‘Court has no authority to prohibit a Senate committee from requiring persons to appear and testify before it in connection with an inquiry in aid of legislation by its duly published rules of procedure.”
She said the committee has given committee members the chance to reverse the citation order on Quiboloy but they failed to come up with the required number of votes, thus it is clear that “my ruling is in motion.”
She said the need to cite Quiboloy in contempt was further strengthened by his continued mockery and taunting of the committee by coming up with 17 demands for him to attend the inquiry.
She said that lawyer Ferdinand Topacio even attempted to dupe her by saying that the 17 demands were fake news, but Quiboloy himself admitted that he authorized the release of the conditions in a Gikan Para sa Masa event with vloggers.
“Considering all these, once again, I request for the Senate President to issue an arrest order against Apollo C. Quiboloy. He must show up, he must respect the institution of the Senate. Sa mga kasama ko sa Senado, huwag nating hayaan maliitin niya ang ating iniingatang institusyon. Kung hindi po tayo maninindigan sa kanyang tahasang pambabastos sa Senado, ewan ko kung saan tayo pupulutin
(To my colleagues in the Senate, let us not allow him to undermine the institution. If we do not stand up against his brazen rudeness against the Senate, I don’t know where we will be headed),” she added.
Zubiri said he has yet to review the Quiboloy camp’s response to the show cause order and Hontiveros’ letter requesting the issuance of the arrest warrant.
He said he had just arrived in the country Sunday night after extending his trip for one day after joining President Marcos Jr.’s official trip to the Czech Republic.
Hontiveros said that once the arrest order is out and should the camp of Quiboloy offer resistance, she will ask the PNP to assist members of the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms in serving the order.
