Gabriela asks DOJ to issue hold departure order vs. Quiboloy

The Gabriela Party-list on Sunday asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a hold departure order against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder and pastor Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, who is wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over labor trafficking charges.

"Malaking hamon sa Duterte regime at maging sa Bongbong-Sara tandem na huwag kanlungin si Quiboloy, lalo't inendorso niya ang tandem ng administrasyon kamakailan. They are complicit in coddling the wanted sex trafficker and in causing further injury to those victims who have come forward to expose Quiboloy crimes," Gabriela Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas said in a statement.

(It is a big challenge for the Duterte regime and even for the Bongbong-Sara tandem to not protect Quiboloy, especially since he is endorsing the tandem of the administration.)

"We again ask the DOJ to do whatever is necessary to facilitate the attainment of justice to all the victims of Pastor Quiboloy — even if those measures would run counter to Duterte's wishes," she added.

Brosas said Quiboloy is "playing the victim," as she advised the KJC founder to just surrender.

"Pa-victim itong si Pastor Quiboloy. Eh siya itong maraming biniktimang kababaihan at menor de edad ayon sa indictment charges laban sa kanya. For someone who is accused of molesting minors and trafficking victims to the US, Quiboloy must really be thick-faced to liken himself to biblical figures. Sumuko na lang dapat siya," Brosas wrote.

(Quiboloy is playing the victim. He is the one who victimized minors and women based on the indictment charges against him. He should just surrender.)

The FBI had said Quiboloy is wanted for "alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders." 

Last year, Quiboloy and other church officials including two US-based church administrators, were indicted for allegedly running a sex-trafficking operation that threatened victims as young as 12 with "eternal damnation" and physical abuse. 

The US court issued a warrant for his arrest on November 10, 2021, the FBI said.

On Saturday, the DOJ said it has yet to receive an official request for the extradition of Quiboloy over the sex trafficking charges. —KG, GMA News