Quiboloy's lawyer dares Risa to bring allegations to courts

The lawyer of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy on Tuesday dared opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros to bring the allegations of exploitation, child abuse, and sexual harassment to the proper courts and not in the Senate.

In a phone interview with reporters, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio dismissed the allegations raised by Hontiveros in the Senate as mere “deception.”

“Ang ginagawa po ni Senator Risa Hontiveros ay isang panlilinlang sapagkat ang sinasabi po niya, gusto niyang imbestigahan itong mga alegasyon ng human trafficking, may mga testigo raw siya laban kay Pastor Quiboloy at sa grupo ng Kingdom of Jesus Christ, ngunit itong bagay na ito ay hindi po dapat sa Senado iniimbestigahan,” Topacio said.

“Siya ay aking hinahamon. Kung tingin mo matibay ang iyong mga testigo, makatotohanan ang sinasabi nila, bakit hindi mo dalhin sa hukuman kung saan patas ang laban, may due process? Bakit gusto mo sa Senado ang paglilitis, sapagkat sa Senado, lamang na lamang ka, agrabyado kami,” he went on.

(What Senator Risa Hontiveros is doing is deception because she wants to investigate these allegations of human trafficking supposedly committed by Pastor Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ even though these matters should not be investigated in the Senate. I challenge her. If you think that your witnesses are credible and your claims are true, why not bring these allegations to the proper courts where there is due process? Why investigate in your own territory?)

He cited several decisions of the Supreme Court which he said decided that the Senate is not a court, a prosecutorial body, nor an investigative body.

Topacio questioned the proposed Senate investigation in aid of legislation, noting that the Expanded Anti-Human Trafficking Act was just enacted in 2022.

“What legislation? Ibig mong sabihin nu’ng ginawa ng Senado yan hindi nila nakita lahat ng anggulo na kailangan na naman na amyendahan yan after one year. Yan po ay very clear na panloloko ang ginagawa ni Senator Hontiveros,” he said.

“Itong pagdinig na ito ay part lang po ng feeding frenzy. Ito po ay kitang-kita natin na ito ay bahagi ng pattern ng panggigipit, pangha-harass sa SMNI at sa mga kawani nito, sa Kingdom of Jesus Christ at kay Pastor Quiboloy,” he added.

(What legislation are you trying to pass? Are you admitting that the law passed by Congress did not cover all angles of human trafficking? Why do you need to amend the law after one year? What she is doing is clearly a deception. This investigation is only a part of the feeding frenzy. We saw this as a part of the pattern of harassment against the SMNI and their employees, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and Pastor Quiboloy.)

Topacio mentioned that this started with the threats to revoke the franchise of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), which was reportedly owned by Quiboloy and the detention of their hosts—Lorraine Badoy and Eric Celiz.

He added that the accounts of the witnesses presented by Hontiveros were already divulged in the past and these were already subject to the investigation of the US government.

“In fact, may kaso na po yan sa Amerika. Alam naman po ng lahat yan. Bakit ngayon lang?” he asked.

(In fact, there is already a case in America. We all know that. So why are they seeking investigation on these matters now?)

If Hontiveros is really sincere in investigating the abuses against women and children, Topacio said she should have probed the recruitment of New People’s Army in the campuses.

He claimed that these women and children were not only exposed to armed encounters but were also abused by NPA leaders.

“Selective lang ba ang kanyang concern sa kababaihan at kabataan?” he asked.

Asked if he is denying the alleged crimes done by Quiboloy, Topacio said it is not for him to confirm nor deny because these are matters for the court to decide.

“Meron na po yang kaso sa Amerika. Hindi pa nga po nalilitis eh, pagkatapos sasabihin ni Senator Risa Hontiveros sa kanyang privilege speech na para bang na-convict na,” he said.

“Bakit dinala mo sa teritoryo mo? Eh magulang ka. Dalhin mo sa hukuman. Diyan naming sasagutin kung saan ang technical rules of evidence ay applicable, kung saan may due process, kung saan may right magsalita ang counsel. Bakit sa Senado? May binabalak kang masama,” he said.

(There is already a case in America and he has not been tried yet, but it appeared in Senator Risa Hontiveros’ privilege speech that Quiboloy had already been convicted. Why bring this in your territory where you have the advantage? Bring this to the proper courts and we will answer you there. In courts, the technical rules of evidence are applicable, there is due process, and the counsel has the right to speak. Why bring this in the Senate? You must be planning something bad.)

Last Monday, Hontiveros filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the alleged case of large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse which she said were done “under the cover of a religious organization.”

She also delivered a privilege speech where she shared the accounts of the alleged victims of Quiboloy’s criminal activities.

Earlier in the day, Hontiveros called on the Department of Justice to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order on Quiboloy to prevent him from “escaping accountability.” —NB, GMA Integrared News