EDITORIAL - Looking for Quiboloy

Probably not wanting to see another fugitive leaving the country like Alice Guo, thousands of police officers again descended on the sprawling estate of Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City early yesterday, hoping to serve the arrest warrants for the pastor and five members of his Kingdom of Jesus Christ ministry. As of early evening yesterday, the search continued in the vast compound, which reportedly houses 42 buildings and features tunnels.

The search was launched amid a report that Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, was trying to enter the Golden Triangle – the lawless borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. The mountainous area is home to opium producers and cyber scam operations. Guo and her brother Wesley had eluded Indonesian authorities when they intercepted her sister Sheila, said to be a Chinese citizen named Zhang Mier, and business partner Cassandra Li Ong.

Amid persistent rumors that Quiboloy had also flown the coop, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said last Friday that the pastor is still in the Philippines. Quiboloy is on the most wanted list of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of children and bulk cash smuggling. A federal warrant for his arrest was issued on Nov. 10, 2021 following his indictment by a federal grand jury in the US Central District Court of California.

Quiboloy’s camp claims he is hiding for fear that the Philippine government intends to turn him over to the FBI.

Although US authorities have not invoked the extradition treaty with the Philippines, Quiboloy claims he will be subjected to “extraordinary rendition,” which is a misconception of the act as practiced by the US. The filing of criminal cases against Quiboloy in the Philippines in fact shields him from repatriation, because his prosecution under Philippine laws must take precedence over the US indictment.

Lawmakers are also trying to find Chinese businessman Michael Yang, believed to be the broker of the P8.5-billion sweetheart deal awarded to the newly incorporated Pharmally Pharmaceuticals as Filipinos were dying of COVID and the economy was spiraling into recession in 2020. Pharmally had a paid-up capital of only P625,000 and total assets of just P599,540. Yang, now reportedly also in another country, served as economic adviser of then president Rodrigo Duterte, whose administration justified the sweetheart deal as an emergency procurement.

With an irate President Marcos vowing that “heads will roll” in Guo’s escape, police launched their latest search for Quiboloy in Davao. Will it take action from the Interpol to capture Quiboloy? The government may have to make good on its threat to file charges for obstruction of justice against persons harboring a wanted man.