SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero over the weekend rallied alleged victims of pastor Apollo Quiboloy to file criminal cases against the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) religious group to get justice for the wrong committed against them.
Escudero, in an interview with dwIZ radio on Saturday, said the testimonies of the former Quiboloy supporters given during the hearings of the Senate Committee on Women “carry a lot of weight” since these were made under oath.
“Mabigat kung mabigat pero ang tanong ko, ilan doon sa pito o labing isa ang aktwal nang pormal na naghain ng kaso? Sana huwag silang tumigil sa pagsalita lamang sa pagdinig ng Senado o ng Kamara man. Sana i-diretso nila ‘yung pagsampa o paghain ng kaso para makamtan nila ang katarungang hinahanap nila na hindi marahil makukuha sa pagdinig lamang ng Senado (The accusations are serious. But the question is, how many of the seven or 11 [alleged victims] have actually filed formal complaints? I hope they won’t stop with their revelations in the Senate or in the House of Representatives. They should file the appropriate charges in court so they can have justice which they cannot probably get just from the Senate hearings),” he said.
Several former members of the KOJC have come forward and accused Quiboloy of allegedly sexually abusing them when they were still minors. Some claimed they were supposedly tortured when they reportedly refused to give in to his wishes.
The victims also alleged that members were threatened with harm to keep silent about the abuses. They said those who violated the group’s code of silence were allegedly hurt, with some even killed, by members of Quiboloy’s private army called the “Angels of Death.”
Other former group supporters also said they were supposedly forced to beg on the streets to fund the pastor’s lavish lifestyle. There were likewise allegations that Quiboloy purportedly ordered forced marriages so members can continue to live abroad and raise funds for the KOJC.
During the committee hearing last week, at least two supposed victims confronted Quiboloy who, along with four other KOJC leaders, attended the Senate probe for the first time since the panel started its inquiry seven months ago.
The self-proclaimed ‘son’ of god denied all the allegations against him, while the four other group leaders refused to comment, invoking their right against self-incrimination.
Quiboloy and his cohorts are facing child abuse and qualified trafficking charges before the Quezon City and Pasig City courts, respectively.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, committee chairperson, announced last week the termination of the Senate inquiry after Quiboloy and his top assistants attended the hearing.
Hontiveros said they were just waiting for Quiboloy to appear and put his statements on record.
She said the committee has heard all the testimonies of the “cast of characters” that were named in the Senate hearing which started on December last year.
With the termination of the probe, Escudero said he will issue an order to lift the Senate’s arrest warrant against Quiboloy.
“At dahil diyan sa pag-terminate ng kaniyang hearing at dahil nag-attend na si Pastor Quiboloy, ili-lift ko ko na rin yung warrant of arrest at yung contempt order na inisyu ng Senado dahil sa hindi niya pagdalo sa hearing noon (Because the probe has been terminated after pastor Quiboloy attended the hearing, I will lift the warrant of arrest and the contempt citation which were issued by the Senate for his non-attendance in past hearings),” he said.
Anyway, he said, the religious leader and his co-accused are already detained in relation to the criminal cases they are facing.
Quiboloy has been detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame since he surrendered to authorities last September 8 following a 16-day standoff with policemen who raided the KOJC property in Davao City last August.
