He’s wagging the dog – Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — In hiding after being ordered arrested by a Davao City court for abuse of minors, pastor Apollo Quiboloy “is in no position” to demand conditions “or any kind of guarantee” for his surrender, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday.
“Quiboloy cannot impose any conditions. He must surrender, not according to his terms but according to the terms of the law. The law applies to all, without exception,” Remulla said in a statement.
“We are all equal in the eyes of the law. With all our rights, we also share the burden of responsibility,” he said in a separate statement sent through text to The STAR.
What the government can guarantee, according to Remulla, is Quiboloy’s safety.
President Marcos also said Quiboloy was wagging the dog with his conditions, and that the government could only promise the pastor fair proceedings.
Quiboloy outlined the conditions for his surrender in a 30-minute recorded statement on the YouTube channel of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), which he reportedly owns.
In his message, Quiboloy said he would not show his face unless the Marcos administration gave him a written guarantee that the US would not meddle in his cases in the Philippines.
His message was also addressed to the Philippine National Police, the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation under the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The fugitive pastor said he wants a guarantee “that the Americans will not interfere in his case in the Philippines and that their FBI, Central Intelligence Agency and the US embassy will not meddle.”
Calling the accusations against Quiboloy “serious and morally abhorrent,” Remulla said evidence was strong enough to pin down the religious sect leader.
“Argue your charges before the court where you remain the accused, tell the naked truth, that way you can redeem yourself,” Remulla said, addressing Quiboloy.
The DOJ is awaiting the issuance of another arrest warrant against Quiboloy by a Pasig City court for qualified human trafficking.
Who’s wagging the dog
For President Marcos, Quiboloy may be trying to “wag the dog” by demanding conditions for his surrender.
“It seems to me a little bit, tail wagging the dog,” the President told reporters after attending a National Grid Corp. of the Philippines event in Bacolod City.
“So, I mean, we will exercise all the compassion. To Pastor Quiboloy, we’ve known him for a very long time. What I can promise him is all the proceedings will be fair,” the President said.
Marcos also shrugged off Quiboloy’s fears that the US government would interfere in his cases in the Philippines.
“Now, as to the involvement of the United States… That’s going to take years, yet. So I don’t think that’s something he needs to worry about, quite frankly,” the President said.
“Well, he is wagging the dog,” Ferdinand Topacio, one of Quiboloy’s lawyers said, referring to Marcos. “The dog seems to be wagging now. Because no less than the President of the Philippines is making comments,” Topacio said.
He said he last saw his client before his Singapore trip on March 22 “in a state of meditation and contemplation at a prayer mountain,” the exact location of which he declined to reveal.
While acknowledging that Quiboloy’s case before a Davao court is bailable, Topacio said it is the “general unfairness” of the situation that dissuades the pastor from surrendering.
“It is very difficult to believe that there is due process, that there is fairness. If you would look at the flow of events, it cannot be a mere coincidence,” Topacio said in an interview over One News’ “Storycon.”
A Davao City court earlier issued warrants of arrest against Quiboloy and five of his followers for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
Quiboloy is also wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for child sex trafficking.
In 2021, the US Justice Department charged Quiboloy with sex trafficking of girls and women aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals,” who were allegedly required to have sex with him.
A federal warrant was issued for his arrest on Nov. 10, 2021.
The Senate earlier also ordered his arrest for contempt after he snubbed committee hearings on his alleged sexual abuses committed against members of his sect.
Representatives of the Senate Office of Sergeant-at-Arms yesterday met with the joint team of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation to hand over the transmittal order of arrest of Quiboloy.
Shameless audacity
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee investigating Quiboloy’s alleged abuses, said the fugitive pastor should face the Senate and tell the stories he had told bloggers.
“Pastor Quiboloy, come out of your cave. Anyway, you were getting interviewed by vloggers, so let us in the Senate interview you,” she said.
“Those audio files were unable to hide your fear as the stinking truth came out… You don’t have a shred of evidence against our brave witnesses, and you have no right to discredit the institution of the Senate and its mandate,” Hontiveros added.
“If you are really brave, repeat everything you said about the Senate, here in the Senate. Make your words on record. Record your shameless audacity in history,” Hontiveros said.
She stressed her committee will continue hearing the allegations of abuse against Quiboloy even in his absence.
Sen. Francis Tolentino, for his part, said the chamber can file charges of disobedience against Quiboloy for disregarding a Senate order.
“If you are referring to the Senate (arrest order against Quiboloy), this is article 150 of the revised penal code, the Senate can file an appropriate case with RTC (regional trial court) maybe in Pasay that will also have a hearing, a warrant of arrest can be issued because of that defiance,” Tolentino, a lawyer, told reporters.
“The two warrants of arrest that we are talking about are the Senate warrant and the RTC warrant. One in the regional trial court, post bail if you don’t want to post bail, have the warrant quashed. If you don’t want to follow the Senate’s warrant, wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” he explained.
Gun permits
Meanwhile, Quiboloy may lose his license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) as well as the permits for his collection of guns.
Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP chief information officer, said that based on the Firearms and Explosives Office’s guidelines, gun owners who used their firearms for illegal activities could lose their firearms license after a review.
The situation is different in Quiboloy’s case because his alleged offenses did not involve the use of guns.
“We’re checking with the FEO if the child abuse case against Quiboloy will be sufficient ground for the possible revocation and cancellation of his LTOPF,” she said at a news briefing in Camp Crame.
Quiboloy has 19 assorted firearms based on the FEO’s record. The license for one of the guns expired last March while the licenses for the other weapons are still valid.
Even if the fugitive televangelist has a cache of firearms, Fajardo said they do not consider yet Quiboloy armed and dangerous as there is no indication so far that the leader of the religious sect has resorted to violence.
“We’ve not monitored any indications so far that he’s maintaining a private armed group,” she said.
On Quiboloy’s setting conditions for his surrender, Fajardo reminded him that the issuance of warrants is part of the judicial powers of courts that should be respected.
Instead of evading arrest, Fajardo urged Quiboloy to surrender and face the charges against him in court where he can present evidence to prove his innocence.
Fajardo also said the PNP is unaware of any US plot to have Quiboloy either kidnapped or assassinated. She assured the televangelist of his safety should he opt to surrender to the police. “We will provide the necessary security to Pastor Quiboloy,” she said, adding there is no indication that Quiboloy has left the country.
Vice President Sara Duterte, whose family considers Quiboloy a close friend and spiritual adviser, said the filing of charges against the controversial pastor was a “good development” as the allegations against him would now be tried in a proper forum.
Asked if she would be willing to put on her lawyer’s hat to help facilitate Quiboloy’s surrender to authorities, Duterte said, “I no longer work as a lawyer and the fact that there’s a case in the right venue – within a court – is a good development.”
“Whatever Pastor Quiboloy decides to do from here on out is his personal decision and I’m sure that would be something he thought about,” she added.
Duterte earlier came to the defense of Quiboloy against his accusers in Congress, saying he was being persecuted. — Helen Flores, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Neil Jayson Servallos, Emmanuel Tupas, Diana Lhyd Suelto