Quiboloy lawyer questions P10 million bounty

MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder and accused child abuser Apollo Quiboloy questioned the “discriminatory” P10-million bounty for the arrest of the preacher, saying the “surprisingly disproportionate” reward endangers the life of the pastor, who has not yet been convicted.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government announced the P10-million reward for information that would lead to Quiboloy’s arrest and P1 million each for his five co-accused.

Quiboloy is the subject of arrest warrants issued by the Davao City and Pasig City regional trial courts where he is facing charges of qualified trafficking and sexual abuse allegedly committed against a 17-year-old girl in 2011.

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio noted that average rewards for child sexual abuse and human trafficking suspects is “only a little over a million pesos,” even for members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and declared terrorist organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

“Such a surprisingly disproportionate reward for Pastor Quiboloy creates prejudice in the minds of the people that he is more dangerous than those who commit murders and acts to topple the government. It is at war with the presumption of innocence and endangers the life of a mere accused who has not yet been convicted,” Topacio said in a statement yesterday.

He also questioned the source of the funds for the bounty, which Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos earlier said consisted of private funds.

Topacio urged Abalos to name the supposed donors of the funds for the sake of transparency and invoked that constitutional right of the people to information regarding matters of public concern, so that the public may know the motives and purposes of the supposed private individuals.

“This assault on the dignity of Pastor Quiboloy is but the latest in a display of wantonness and disregard for the rule of law of this administration,” the lawyer said.

In a separate television interview, Topacio said Quiboloy cannot be blamed for refusing to submit to the courts over his trafficking and sexual abuse cases, considering the “harassment and persecution” by the government.

“If a person who is the subject of a warrant feels he cannot get fair and impartial justice under our present system of government – under the executive – then, while I do not condone it, I will be the last person to blame him for refusing to submit himself to a justice system that is far from being fair,” Topacio said in an interview aired on ABS-CBN News Channel.

Quiboloy has denied the allegations against him in courts in Davao City and in Pasig, claiming that these are recycled and came from disgruntled former members of the KOJC.

In a separate statement, Quiboloy’s lawyer Israelito Torreon also pointed out the “obstinate and continuous obsession” of the government against the preacher.

Torreon said the government “created a circus” out of Quiboloy’s “precipitate and unjust” indictment, instead of acting on his motion for reconsideration filed before the Department of Justice.

The case in Davao City has been allowed by the Supreme Court to be transferred to a Quezon City court.

An immigration lookout bulletin order has also been issued against Quiboloy to prevent him from fleeing the country.

Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God,” is currently considered a fugitive as authorities try to locate him due to the standing arrest warrants.