Risa slams Quiboloy's motion for house arrest

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday slammed the motion of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy to be placed under hospital arrest in Davao City.

"Seryosong mga krimen ng human trafficking, rape, at child abuse ang kinakaharap ni Apollo Quiboloy. Dapat pantay-pantay ang trato sa mga akusado, anuman ang kanilang katayuan o koneksyon," Hontiveros said in a statement. 

(Apollo Quiboloy is facing serious crimes of human trafficking, rape, and child abuse. The accused must be treated equally, regardless of their status or connection.)

"Dapat walang special treatment sa kanya. Napaka-entitled at wala sa lugar ang paghiling niya ng hospital arrest sa Davao," she added. 

(There should be no special treatment for him. His request for hospital arrest in Davao is very entitled and out of place.)

Hontiveros also insisted that Quiboloy should not be able to choose where he should be detained.

"Wala na siya sa loob ng “King Dome,” kaya huwag na siyang mag-astang Diyos," the senator said.

(He is no longer inside the "King Dome," so stop pretending to be God.) 

Misinterpreted?

KOJC legal counsel Atty. Israelito Torreon, meanwhile, believes that Hontiveros may have "misinterpreted" some reports that have been coming out.

"Alternative Motion po namin ang Motion for Hospital Arrest Pero hindi sa Davao City at ginawa namin yun dahil sa delicate medical condition ni Pastor at may edad na rin po kasi siya," Torreon told GMA News Online.

(Our alternative motion is for hospital arrest, but not in Davao City, and we did that because of Pastor's delicate medical condition and because he is old.)

"Pero Request namin yun sa Korte na baka naman Pwede pagbigyan kasi naaawa kami Kay Pastor na Nasa Medyo maliit at Medyo kulang ng bentilasyon na [Selda] at sa edad niya ay mataas ang posibilidad na baka maging malubha condition niya," he added.

(But our request to the court is that it might be granted because we feel sorry for the pastor, who is in a rather small and poorly ventilated cell, and at his age there is a high possibility that his condition may worsen.)

"Pero namis-interpret ata ni Senator 'yung Motion namin kaya iklaro ko lang na hindi po yun ibig sabihin na si Pastor na ang gusto magdikta kung Saan siya ma-detain. Motion o request lamang po yun na ginagawa ng Halos lahat ng may mga kaso sa Pilipinas."

(The senator may have misinterpreted our motion.  We just want to clarify that it does not mean that the pastor is dictating where he will be detained. It is only a motion or request made by almost everyone who has a case in the Philippines.)

Medical condition

It was Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo who said Quiboloy's camp made a motion before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159 for the hospital arrest of Quiboloy and one of his co-accused, Ingrid Canada.

"Nag-motion din po ang mga abogado po nina Quiboloy na malipat po itong si Quiboloy at Ingrid Canada doon po sa [Veterans Memorial Medical Center] po sa Davao because, accordingly, mayroon po silang mga existing medical condition at nahihirapan po sila sa custodial facility,” Fajardo said.

(Quiboloy's lawyers also made a motion that Quiboloy and Ingrid Canada be transferred to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Davao because, accordingly, they have existing medical conditions and are having difficulty in the custodial facility.)

Checkup

In response to the motion, the judge required the PNP to facilitate Quiboloy and Canada's medical checkup with government doctors.

While the court decided that the preacher's four co-accused be transferred to the Pasig City Jail, it ordered that Quiboloy must stay in the PNP detention facility pending the resolution for his medical checkup.

"Si Pastor Quibuloy po, pending resolution sa kanilang motion to be checked by the medical doctors na ipo-provide ng government, maiiwan muna siya pansamantala sa custodial center," Fajardo said.

(Pending the resolution on their motion to be checked by the medical doctors that will be provided by the government, Pastor Quibuloy will temporarily stay at the custodial center.)

Arrest warrants were issued against Quiboloy and others for alleged violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act as well as qualified human trafficking.

On Friday Quiboloy and his four co-accused pleaded not guilty to qualified human trafficking charges before a Pasig City court

Quiboloy has also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Central District of California for 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.

Quiboloy's camp has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. 
 

—VAL, GMA Integrated News