Lawmakers Threaten to Arrest Quiboloy for Not Appearing in Senate, House Probes
Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives have threatened to arrest and cite in contempt pastor Apollo Quiboloy for evading their summons to separate committee investigations on his actions as the leader of a megachurch and founder of television network SMNI.
Urged to face the accusations against him — including allegations he sexually and physically abused members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), according to Senate witnesses — Quiboloy has instead opted to hurl conspiracies on social media that he is in hiding due to an “assassination” plot against him approved by the president, among others.
In a 37-minute audio recording posted on Facebook, Quiboloy claimed that the United States government is in cahoots with President Marcos Jr. to conduct “rendition” on him instead of extradition and that the plot involves “killing” him and his church leaders.
“Me, my leaders, they want to kill us all,” Quiboloy said.
Both the House and the Senate issued subpoena orders against Quiboloy last week — a legitimate power that lawmakers can use to compel witnesses and key figures to show up to Congress as part of an investigation of an issue. Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is leading the probe into the alleged sexual abuses and exploitative acts committed by KOJC members and issued the subpoena against Quiboloy, urged the pastor to “not play victim.”
“I have been given to foreigners. If this is true, own up to it. If I’m wrong, correct me. My life is now in danger,” Quiboloy said in Filipino.
The senator added that she would cite Quiboloy in contempt and have him arrested if he does not show up to the Senate’s next hearing on March 5.
It was during the Senate’s second hearing on the alleged abuses by KOJC that one witness named “Rene” said he saw the vice president and former president Duterte receive “bags of guns” at one of Quiboloy’s compounds.
Similarly, House lawmakers on Tuesday threatened to have Quiboloy arrested if he continues to snub the next hearing of the legislative franchises committee, which is currently tackling a bill seeking SMNI’s franchise revocation after it allegedly aired false content on their programs.
