Due process accorded to Quiboloy, says House panel chair

The chairman of the House committee that scrutinized the franchise of SMNI on Wednesday denied that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founding leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), is being given unfair treatment.

According to Paran?aque City Representative Gus Tambunting, Quiboloy is being accorded due process, contrary to the claim of Vice President Sara Duterte that Quiboloy is being given unfair treatment.

"We respect her opinion, but our topic here in Congress is the SMNI franchise," said Tambunting, who chairs the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.

SMNI is the broadcasting arm of KOJC, although SMNI lawyers said that Quiboloy is not involved in its operations. 

Tambunting's committee has voted to revoke the franchise of SMNI — or Sonshine Media Network International (formally known as Swara Sug Media Corporation) — over its alleged willful dissemination of false information and the transfer of ownership without congressional approval.
 
"This franchise was given by Congress. Kongreso rin po lang ang puwedeng bumawi po nito at iyon naman pong proseso, and as far as due process is concerned, dito po sa hearing namin, six months has been given, five months of hearing, six hearings were conducted and palagay ko mas maraming sinabi ang kampo ni SMNI kesa po sa mga Congressmen," Tambunting said.

(The hearings spanned five months, we had six public hearings and I would say SMNI said a lot more than us lawmakers.)

"Lahat po ng kanilang paliwanag ay ating pinakinggan at pinagbigyan po natin lahat ng katanungan nila," Tambunting said.

(We have listened to their explanation and addressed their questions.)

Quiboloy, a close friend of the Duterte family, has been cited in contempt for skipping the hearings despite the issuance of a subpoena against him. 

According to Tambunting, his committee granted the appeal of Quiboloy's counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, that they be given until Friday to comply with the committee's subpoena.

In granting Topacio’s appeal, the committee withheld the issuance of an arrest order on Quiboloy.

"Lahat ho ng pagbibibgay at luwag ay binigay ho namin during the five-month hearing. Nagsimula po kami November at kahapon lang po nadesisyunan," he said.

(We have been very lenient the entire time. We started in November and just concluded yesterday.)

Asked by committee members if he could convince Quiboloy, who is reportedly in hiding, to come out and appear before the House, Topacio said he was making no commitment other than to talk to his client. —KBK, GMA Integrated News