Quiboloy camp responds to Senate show cause order, insists he doesn't need to attend probe

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on Friday submitted his response to a Senate show cause order in connection with the investigation on the abuses being linked to him and his religious group, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).

The document, submitted through Quiboloy's lawyers, was formally received by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on Friday, March 15.

"We followed the order and submitted within the required 48 hours from the morning of March 13," Quiboloy's counsel, Atty. Elvis Balayan, said in an interview.  

He said their response was received at about 8:40 a.m.
 
The show cause order issued on March 13 tasked Quiboloy to explain within a non-extendable period of 48 hours why he should not be ordered arrested and detained at the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms for refusing to attend the Senate panel's inquiry despite repeated invitations and notices.

Balayan said they would wait for the Senate's response before making the next legal move.

"Hangga't nakasalang po ang aming compliance and show cause order, hihintayin po namin ang tugon ng Senado sa aming legal compliance at from there we will take it po kung ano ang the best legal avenue or legal actions we could take," he said.

(We will wait for the Senate's feedback on our compliance and we will take it from there.)

Bantayan maintained that it would be "useless" for Quiboloy to attend the Senate hearing as the resolution calling for the investigation has already judged him guilty of wrongdoings.

"Kagaya ng pauli-ulit na sinasabi namin, 'yung resolution mismo po ay sinasabi na guilty na po sa mga krimen si Pastor at ito ay patuloy niya na kino-commit," Balayan said.

(Like what we've been saying, the resolution that paved the way for the inquiry already stated that Pastor is guilty and that he is presently committing crimes.)

Balayan also insisted that Congress' power to investigate in aid of legislation has limits and should not be done in violation of human rights.

"There is a limit to Congress' authority to probe, that is... to regulate, control the legislator from  abusing the fundamental bill of rights of resource persons or witnesses appearing there," he said.

The House of Representatives is also deliberating on House Bill 9710, which seeks to revoke the franchise of Swara Sug Media Corp., which operates KOJC's broadcast channel SMNI.  

The House Committee on Legislative Franchises already approved the bill revoking Swara Sug's franchise to operate due to alleged violations of its franchise such as willful dissemination of false information and transfer of ownership without congressional approval.

The panel has also given Quiboloy until Friday to justify his repeated absence in the House inquiry or else he would have to be ordered arrested.

Quiboloy is on the US FBI's list of Most Wanted over alleged conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.

Last March 7, Central District of California Judge Terry Hatter Jr. has ordered the unsealing of the arrest warrants against Quiboloy and his co-accused. —KBK, GMA Integrated News