Arrest order vs Quiboloy en route to Davao, says Hontiveros

CEBU, Philippines – The arrest order for Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy is on its way to Davao City through the Senate Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA), Senator Risa Hontiveros told reporters in Cebu City on Thursday, March 21.

Hontiveros said this as police authorities in Davao said that they have been awaiting coordination with a Senate representative since Wednesday, March 20 and that no copy of the arrest order has been sent to them.

“Kung wala pang kopya ang Davao-PNP, any moment now makakarating sa kanila dahil isineserve na ng OSAA kay Quiboloy doon sa known Davao address niya,” she said.

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(If the Davao-PNP still does not yet have a copy of the arrest order, it will arrive to them at any moment because the OSAA is serving it to Quiboloy at his known Davao address.)

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri approved the arrest order against Quiboloy on Tuesday, March 19, following his repeated refusal to appear before the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality to answer allegations of sex offenses, human trafficking, and exploitation by the preacher’s former followers.

The police in Davao City announced that they were on standby mode, awaiting instructions to execute the arrest order against the embattled leader of the KOJC.

Hontiveros said she has noted that the regional office of the PNP in Southern Mindanao expressed their commitment to assist OSAA when needed. 

Major Catherine Dela Rey, spokesperson for the PNP in Southern Mindanao, said they were ready to assist the Senate sergeant-at-arms in arresting the Davao-based preacher and bringing him to face the committee probing the allegations against him and his group.

“We are prepared to execute orders from the Senate or any court-issued warrant,” Dela Rey told Rappler.

Where is Quiboloy?

While Dela Rey affirmed the PNP-Davao’s commitment to help in the arrest, she acknowledged that they were still uncertain about Quiboloy’s whereabouts, and added that they cannot disclose operational details due to security concerns.

Despite Quiboloy’s social status, Dela Rey assured that Davao police would remain impartial, and upon arrest, the preacher would be flown straight to Manila.

The controversial preacher is known for his political connections, and his closeness to former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was recently named as the KOJC’s property administrator. He served as a presidential spiritual adviser during the Duterte administration.

Hontiveros said her committee still has one more batch of alleged victims who will take the stand as witnesses against Quiboloy and his organization.

“Sa security ng mga witnesses o yung mga pamilya nila kase hinihingi nila yon, lageng isang option yung witness protection program ng Department of Justice… kailangan namin gawin ng security arrangements,” she said.

(On the security of our witnesses or their families, because they asked for it, one option is the witness protection program of the Department of Justice… we need to make the security arrangements.)

In Davao, Mae Fe Templa, a former undersecretary for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), expressed optimism about the momentum gained in pursuing allegations against Quiboloy.

Templa emphasized the importance of investigating other alleged human rights violations and scrutinizing the financial activities of Quiboloy’s group through its foundations, noting the potential for additional alleged victims to strengthen cases against the controversial preacher. 

Quiboloy has been charged with qualified human trafficking in Pasig and sexual abuse and maltreatment of children in Davao. Although the Pasig case is non-bailable, no arrest warrant has been issued against him by any Philippine court as of now.

Quiboloy is wanted in the United States, where he and his associates were indicted by a federal grand jury in California for similar offenses. There is no extradition request from the US government to the Philippines yet.

“Ongoing ang Senate investigation kahit talagang inoobstruct ni Quiboloy (The Senate investigation is ongoing even if Quiboloy is obstructing it),” Hontiveros said. – Rappler.com