Quiboloy lawyer, others file counter affidavit on sedition complaint

The legal counsel of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy and others have filed their counter affidavit on the sedition and inciting to sedition complaint filed against them before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Quiboloy's lawyer Israelito Torreon said he represented himself before the DOJ.

"Yes, as early as the last hearing pa. 'Yung second hearing lang ngayon, I just have to be here because I'm one of the respondents. And 'yung co-respondents, likewise filed their counter affidavits," Torreon said in an interview following the preliminary probe on the complaint.

(Yes, last hearing. For this second hearing, I just have to be here because I'm one of the respondents. And my co-respondents, likewise, filed their counter-affidavits.)

In October, Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, acting director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, lodged the complaint in relation to the serving of arrest warrants against Quiboloy last August at the KOJC compound in Davao City.

Among the respondents are Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) broadcast personalities Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celis as well as vlogger Banat By.

In his counter-affidavit, Celis argued that he did not incite others to sedition nor did he publish or circulate malicious claims against the government which tend to disturb the public peace.

Celis said he was only reporting the information presented to him at the time.

"It is my hope that the Honorable Office pursue to strongly maintain that the freedom of expression is man's birthright—constitutionally protected and guaranteed, and that it has become the singular role of the press to act as its "defensor fidei" in a democratic society such as ours," he said in his affidavit. "Defensor fidei" is Latin for Defender of the Faith.

Meanwhile, Celis said in an interview that the police's move was a "harassment complaint."

Tensions rose between policemen and KOJC members in August when law enforcers tried to serve the arrest warrant against Quiboloy at the religious group's compound.

Both camps claimed that some of their members were hurt during the implementation of the warrants.

Quiboloy surrendered to authorities in September after he was given an ultimatum to turn himself in within 24 hours. — VDV, GMA Integrated News