CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – A former Kingdom of Jesus Christ and Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) researcher claimed to have witnessed former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte leaving controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy’s vast property in Davao City with bags of assorted firearms.

“Minsan po pumupunta doon si former president Rodrigo Duterte at former Davao mayor Sara Duterte. ‘Pag umalis na po sila sa Glory Mountain, dala na po nila ang mga bag na siya pong mga bag na nilalagyan po ng mga baril,” said the witness identified only as “Rene” (not his real name), during an investigation by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on Monday, February 19.

(Sometimes, former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Davao mayor Sara Duterte go there. When they leave Glory Mountain, they take bags with them that contain guns.)

Rene read from an affidavit that he executed earlier, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros, the Senate committee’s chairperson.

The so-called Glory Mountain is a vast property owned by Quiboloy, filled with pine trees. It sits on the slopes of Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the country, situated in the rural and impoverished village of Tamayong in Davao City’s Calinan District.

According to Rene, he was sent to Glory Mountain – a place where KOJC workers being sanctioned or in need of discipline are sent – to work as a landscaper.

The witness said he was sent there at a time when he began entertaining doubts about the KOJC’s teachings and was tasked to recruit more young people to become workers of the religious group.

Rene recounted that Quiboloy would allegedly arrive on a chopper with large bags containing firearms of different calibers. He said the guns would then be laid down on the ground in a tent located near Quiboloy’s mansion.

Asked by Hontiveros later if he saw the guns being taken from the bags and laid down on the ground, Rene responded, “Yes po, Madam Chair.”

He also confirmed that he saw the Dutertes leaving KOJC’s Glory Mountain with the large bags that were used to bring the firearms.

Rene said the tent was just a few meters away from his work area.

He also said he and other workers were given strict instructions not to tell anyone about the things they had been seeing in Glory Mountain.

The Dutertes have yet to respond to the witness’ allegations, although the former president is known to be a gun aficionado.

In December 2023, a Rappler report revealed that the former president had registered about 358 firearms. These firearms were all registered under a law he enacted in 2022, granting them 10-year validity and legal backing. 

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The registration was made with the Philippine National Police (PNP) shortly before he stepped down from Malacañang in 2023.

Duterte reportedly has a Type 5 license, which, based on the law, permits “certified gun collectors” to own more than 15 guns.

Based on documents, more than half of his licensed firearms – at least 222 – are pistols, and 73 rifles, including an AK-47.

The report quoted Duterte as saying, “So lahat no’ng baril ko, pati ‘yong maliit na baril, lisensiyado ‘yan. Kaya ang kinuha ko para makaano ako, kasi mahilig ako sa baril, pinarehistro ko lahat na sa Crame. Kaya sila tanong-tanong, marami kang baril, eh putang-ina tingnan mo sa Crame.”

(So all my guns, including the small ones, were all registered. I am a gun collector so I have them all registered in Camp Crame. Some people have a lot of questions about why I have many guns, son of a whore, check the licenses in Crame.)

Duterte also claimed that some of the firearms were gifts from foreign visitors, and Senator Christopher Go, his former aide, facilitated their registration with the PNP. He said some of the guns were considered collector’s items. (READ: [The Slingshot: Rodrigo Duterte’s one last act of corruption)

“Collector’s item lang ‘yan, it’s allowed by law. How can you use it against me when the practice of giving a collector’s license is allowed by law? Paano mo gamitin ‘yan, batas ‘yan eh. Doon ako napika eh. Alam ko eh, may tawag ‘yong pulis sa akin sa Crame, ‘sir, chine-check.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ibigay mo lahat, buksan mo,’” he said.

(Those guns are collector’s items allowed by law. How can you use it against me when the practice of giving a collector’s license is allowed by law? It’s the law so how can you use that against me? That’s what angered me. I am aware of the probe because of a call from police in Crame who said, “Sir, they’re checking your guns.” I said, “Give everything, open it.”) – Rappler.com