PNP ready to assist Senate in arresting

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is ready to assist the Senate should it decide to order the arrest of Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy.

The PNP, however, maintained its assistance is only limited to providing security to the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms who will serve the warrant to the self-proclaimed son of god, PNP chief information officer Col. Jean Fajardo told a news briefing at Camp Crame yesterday.

Senate panel on women chairperson Risa Hontiveros moved to cite Quiboloy for contempt after he snubbed the committee’s hearing on allegations of sexual abuse committed by him and other members of his group.

Fajardo said they have yet to receive a formal request from the Senate for assistance in hunting Quiboloy.

In the event there are overt violations of law during the serving of the warrant against Quiboloy, Fajardo said police officers are ready to enforce the act accordingly.

On the other hand, Sen. Imee Marcos vowed to support Sen. Robin Padilla’s bid to block the contempt order against Quiboloy.

At a press briefing yesterday, Marcos said she and Padilla will do their best to gather signatures to block Hontiveros’ order to have Quiboloy detained in the Senate for defying her probe on the alleged sexual abuses in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

But Marcos admitted they are having difficulty in getting the needed majority or eight signatures from the other members of the Senate women, children, and gender equality committee to prevent the pastor’s impending arrest.

The other committee members are Senators Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Raffy Tulfo, Bong Go, JV Ejercito and Mark Villar. Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva and Minority Leader Koko Pimentel are ex officio members.

Marcos said they are still seeking the support of Senators Go and Villar to lift or modify the contempt order issued by committee chairperson Hontiveros.

According to Section 18 of the Senate rules on inquiries in aid of legislation, a “majority of all the members of the Committee may reverse or modify the aforesaid order of contempt within seven days.”

Asked why should the Senate give preferential treatment to the pastor while it detained the alleged Socorro cult leader Jey Rence Quilario (Senior Aguila) in a previous investigation, Marcos questioned instead the need for a Senate probe when cases were filed in Philippine courts and in the US for the alleged sexual and human trafficking in Quiboloy’s ministry.

“Another reason is the House legislative franchise inquiry (on Quiboloy’s network SMNI). Let us not gang up on the person. They have rights to due process, to defend themselves, and the right against self-incrimination,” Marcos said.

She also questioned the Senate hearing which, instead of conducting an inquiry in aid of legislation, found Quiboloy guilty before being presumed innocent.

At a separate press briefing yesterday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he would wait for Padilla who vowed to gather the eight signatures to lift the contempt order.

“He has seven days to show there’s no support for the motion of the chairperson. It’s a committee matter. I cannot preempt the decision of the committee,” Zubiri said.

Meanwhile, Quiboloy’s camp vowed yesterday to question the legality of the arrest warrant issued by Hontiveros.

Mark Tolentino, one of the legal counsels of Quiboloy, expressed optimism that senators will oppose the arrest warrant against the religious leader.