QUIBOLOY: FBI, CIA OUT TO KILL ME
KINGDOM of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy said on Wednesday that he went into hiding because he fears for his life and the welfare of his congregation.
The Senate and the House of Representatives recently issued subpoenas for Quiboloy, who was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) for his alleged involvement in 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 in the United States.
Quiboloy was a close ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In a 37-minute audio message posted on the YouTube channel of Sonshine Media Network Inc., Quiboloy said he went into hiding because he no longer feels safe since 2018, claiming he was under surveillance by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the FBI.
“We have lost our freedom because we are under surveillance here. In my own country, I am hiding because they can just pick me up like that without going through an extradition process,” he said.
Quiboloy alleged that the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with the CIA, the FBI, the US State Department and the US Department of Justice, were planning to do a “rendition” against him, meaning storming into the KJC compound “at any time” to “kidnap” him.
“It’s not only a rendition but also an elimination. If possible, they can assassinate me. Because I have been handed over to the hands of these foreigners by our own government,” Quiboloy said.
He said Marcos and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez should resign if it was proven that the government handed him over to the Americans.
“If you did that, I will not honor you. I will not respect you because you did not honor me, and you did not respect me. You are no longer worthy to be our trusted leader,” he said.
Romualdez urged Quiboloy to address the issues against him in a court of law instead of hurling baseless accusations.
“Our focus remains on serving the Filipino people and fostering relationships that benefit our nation, devoid of any engagement in criminal activities,” Romualdez said.
“We advise the public to remain discerning of information and trust in the processes that uphold justice and democracy in our nation,” he added.
Justice
United States Embassy in Manila spokesman Kanishka Gangopadhyay said his country was confident that Quiboloy would face justice for his “heinous crimes.”
“For more than a decade, Apollo Quiboloy engaged in serious human rights abuses, including a pattern of systemic and pervasive rape of girls as young as 11 years old, and he is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted List,” Gangopadhyay said in a statement.
“We are confident that Quiboloy will face justice for his heinous crimes. Questions about legal proceedings should be directed to the US Department of Justice,” he added.
Quiboloy and two of his church members were indicted in November 2021 by a federal grand jury in a US district court in California for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.
Sen. Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros
warned Quiboloy that she would have him arrested if he snubs the next Senate public hearing on his alleged involvement in the sexual abuse and maltreatment of some of his followers.
The Senate Committee on Children, Women and Family Relations led by Hontiveros is set to hold its third inquiry on the complaints against Quiboloy on March 5.
“Our next hearing is on March 5, and if Mr. Quiboloy does not show up, I will cite him in contempt and have him arrested,” Hontiveros said.
Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Tuesday subpoenaed Quiboloy, ordering him to attend the next public hearing.
The senator chided Quiboloy for claiming that the Senate and other sectors are ganging up on him.
“Don’t play victim. What was being asked from you is to face the legal processes, and the Senate investigation is part of that process,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
She cited reports that some women and minors in the KJC were raped and brainwashed into believing that having sexual relations with Quiboloy was an act of divine sacrifice.
Some former KJC members alleged that they were forced to beg in malls, terminals, buses and streets to support Quiboloy’s lavish lifestyle, the senator said.
One former member identified only by his alias Rene recounted the physical and sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of Quiboloy and senior officials of the KJC.
He said he was forced to beg for money and was hit by Quiboloy when the KJC founder disliked his landscaping work at his mansion in Glory Mountain, Davao City.