3 more senators back bid to stop Quiboloy detention

MANILA, Philippines — Three senators have joined Sen. Robinhood Padilla’s bid to block the detention of pastor Apollo Quiboloy for defying the Senate investigation on the alleged sexual abuses in his ministry.

In a press briefing yesterday, Padilla confirmed that he has the support of Senators Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos and Bong Go to overturn the contempt order of committee chairperson Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who is investigating Quiboloy for alleged abuses in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Padilla is seeking majority support from the other members of the Senate women, children, family relations and gender equality committee to overturn or modify Hontiveros’ order for Quiboloy to be cited for contempt and detained at the Senate.

He defended Quiboloy from being prejudged guilty in the committee inquiry, where witnesses testified that they were raped and forced to raise money for the church.

Padilla said Quiboloy is a “comrade” in his fight against communism, and that the pastor’s network SMNI showed his films.

“He is not just a friend. He is a comrade who shares my principles against armed communist struggle,” Padilla said.

He said he respected the decision of Senators Grace Poe and Raffy Tulfo to beg off from joining him in overturning the contempt order.

Tulfo said he did not object to Hontiveros’ contempt order in deference to a fellow committee chairperson’s right to compel witnesses to appear before an inquiry.

“While I am happy that democracy in the Senate is alive, it makes me sad that I have not yet gathered the required eight votes,” Padilla said.

He admitted difficulty in gathering signatures due to the serious rape allegations being investigated in time for Women’s Month.

The other committee members are Senators Nancy Binay (vice chairperson), Pia Cayetano, JV Ejercito and Mark Villar. Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva and Minority Leader Koko Pimentel are ex officio members.

Sen. Cynthia Villar said she signed up to block Quiboloy’s impending arrest at the Senate because the controversial pastor is a longtime family friend.

“He is kind to us. I find the cases filed against him hard to believe,” Villar said in Filipino during a phone interview with Senate reporters yesterday.

“Senator Imee and I know him personally. It is not like him to do something like that,” she added, referring to the sexual abuse allegations against the former spiritual adviser.

Marcos said the investigation ended up prosecuting Quiboloy instead of being in aid of legislation.

“I don’t see which part here is in aid of legislation. The cases are also still sub judice. It may end up being a judicial question,” Marcos said on Wednesday.

During yesterday’s press briefing, Padilla named Ejercito as the fifth senator to join him in reversing Quiboloy’s contempt order.

But Ejercito yesterday retracted his signature, saying that while he was initially against detaining the pastor in the Senate because cases were already filed in court, he took a second look at the “serious allegations of rape” that prompted the Department of Justice to revive the cases against the KOJC minister.

“Initially, I made the decision to sign the objection letter, initiated by Sen. Robinhood Padilla on the contempt ruling of Sen. Risa Hontiveros against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, in consideration of procedural practicality,” Ejercito said.

“But after careful review of the facts, witness testimonies, and additional information, such as the allegations of rape during the last committee hearing, I have decided to withdraw my signature today,” he added.