House frees 2 SMNI hosts; Quiboloy travel watch eyed

MANILA, Philippines — Citing humanitarian reasons, the House of Representatives released from detention yesterday two hosts of the Sonshine Media Network International.

SMNI co-hosts Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy were cited in contempt and detained in the Batasang Pambansa following their appearance before the House committee on legislative franchises.

“The committee decided to release Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy purely on humanitarian grounds. Dec. 13 is the last day of session and we do not want Mr. Celis and Ms. Badoy to spend their Christmas and New Year in detention,” panel head Parañaque City 2nd District Rep. Gus Tambunting said.

This developed as Sen. Risa Hontiveros will be requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against Apollo Quiboloy to prevent him from leaving the country.

Quiboloy, a religious leader wanted in the US for sex trafficking of children, is the subject of complaints from former Kingdom of Jesus Christ followers.

“The proof is what I mentioned earlier, that the breadth of crimes and concerns about Quiboloy’s crimes is global, because he is already on the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) wanted list,” Hontiveros said.

“It is not bad if the DOJ and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) contact their counterparts in the US to ensure that Quiboloy does not escape from the hands of the law and justice,” she added.

Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, filed Senate Resolution 884 to probe Quiboloy’s alleged crimes.

She noted that her office is still verifying pending cases filed against Quiboloy.

At yesterday’s press conference, she presented video testimonies of two former followers of Quiboloy.

A certain Arlene recalled that she was 15 years old when she joined the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

The religious group brought her and other members from Davao to Manila to sell puto and kutsinta and beg for donations in the streets.

“I personally experienced a beating from Quiboloy. It was 60 slashes and I also experienced being humiliated in front of the members and workers of Quiboloy,” she claimed.

Another former member,