MANILA, Philippines — The counsel of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy yesterday expressed confidence that the self-styled son of God will be declared innocent amid the pending cases filed against him at the Pasig City and Quezon City regional trial courts.
In a chance interview after the preliminary conference of the child and sexual abuse cases pending before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 106, Quiboloy’s legal counsel Israelito Torreon said that the KOJC leader joined the hearing virtually.
“As long as the sun rises in the east, we believe in his innocence,” Torreon said.
Torreon also downplayed the statement of the Department of Justice that the government has a strong case against Quiboloy.
“You have to realize that these cases were already dismissed by the city prosecution in the past but these were only revived during the height of the Senate investigation by Sen. Risa Hontiveros. They have their own version but we have a stronger version which will prove the innocence of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy,” Torreon said.
“He (Quiboloy) is trying to understand all the bad things that are happening to him and this (is) indeed a season of tribulation against him. But soon, there will be a season of vindication,” he added.
According to Torreon, they are still awaiting the decision of the Pasig and Quezon City courts after they moved to allow the hospital arrest of Quiboloy.
“It (petition for hospital arrest) is urgent, but of course, the prosecution would also want to disapprove our allegations. We likewise have the duty to prove our allegations on the matter and it is being studied by both courts,” he added.
He said that the marking of exhibits would be continued after the defense team failed to finish it.
“We did our job but it is not finished. As you know we have voluminous documents to be marked. It was reset to another date but within the month of October,” Torreon said.
He refused to reveal the details of the preliminary conference.
“Of course, I cannot reveal that but they are documentary exhibits that need to be marked as part of our defense to prove the innocence of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy as well as the other accused,” he said.
He said that the defense team already submitted the names of the possible witnesses of Quiboloy.
“Well, if you are counsel for the accused, you have to do your job and you should not leave anything to chance so anything that will prove the innocence of your client, it is your… duty to present them in court,” he added.