Go: Duterte gives 'moral support' to friend Quiboloy but will follow law

President Rodrigo Duterte will give moral support to his friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy who's facing charges in the United States but will not get in the way of the religious leader's extradition if it will be requested, Senator Bong Go said on Monday.

Go, Duterte's former longtime aide, made the remark when asked if Duterte would get in the way of Quiboloy's extradition.

"Hindi po. Abugado si PRRD at ako po’t naniniwala na sumusunod sa batas ang ating presidente. Bilang presidente, naniniwala ko siya nagpapatupad sa anumang treaty," Go said in a chance interview.

US prosecutors last week announced sex-trafficking charges alleging that girls and young women were coerced to have sex with Quiboloy.

A 74-page indictment charged Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, founder of a church called Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KOJC) and other church officials, including two US-based church administrators, with running a sex-trafficking operation that threatened victims as young as 12 with "eternal damnation" and physical abuse.

"I cannot speak in behalf of the President. Kaibigan sila ni PRRD. Nandyan si pangulo to give moral support as dati niyang spiritual adviser," Go said.

"Meron namang hustisya at extradition treaty," he added.

In a statement, the KJC legal counsel said it was "a vicious attempt" to bring down their leader.

“Once again, another vicious attempt to bring down Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and some of the Kingdom leaders has been organized just recently in the United States, but The KJC, The Name Above Every Name and all its followers remain steadfast and committed to faithfully respond to its mission, its ministry and its divine calling despite all the detraction efforts made against them,” a the KJC Legal Counsel said in a statement on Friday. -NB, GMA News