Hontiveros urges Senate to issue warrant of arrest for Quiboloy

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hotiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, has called for the Senate to issue a warrant of arrest against doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy following his response to the show-cause order.

This came after Quiboloy’s camp, through his lawyer Melanio Balayan, submitted his response to the summons on Friday, arguing that the preacher's appearance at the Senate probe would violate his constitutional rights.

On March 13, Hontiveros, issued a show-cause order, directing Quiboloy to explain within a non-extendable 48-hour period why he should not be arrested and detained at the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. 

The show-cause order was issued due to Quiboloy's repeated failure to appear at the Senate probe concerning alleged abuses associated with him and his church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).

The panel has issued three invitations to the doomsday preacher dated January 23, February 19 and March 5.

In the letter sent by Quiboloy’s camp to the Senate panel, it said that the ongoing Senate investigation “is not in aid of legislation but is tantamount to usurpation of judicial functions beyond the powers of the Senate.”

The preacher's camp also criticized Senate Resolution No. 884, filed in December 2023, which called for a probe into alleged victims of KOJC. They deemed it "brazenly incriminatory," arguing that it undermines the right of individuals to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“The refusal of pastor Quiboloy is not a sign of disrespect to the honorable Senate nor a disregard of its powers and functions but is purely based on the fact that the criminal accusations against him can only be legitimately settled before the competent courts,” the letter read. 

This is the second time the Senate panel has sought Quiboloy's arrest. On March 5, Hontiveros asked the Senate to initiate a motion for contempt against the preacher, urging the issuance of a warrant of arrest.

However, Sen. Robinhood Padilla blocked this motion on March 12, as he failed to garner enough support from his fellow senators to prevent the contempt motion.

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