Quiboloy still obliged to attend Senate probe — Carpio

MANILA, Philippines — Former Supreme Court (SC) senior associate ustice Antonio Carpio said that doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is required to attend the investigations in both houses of Congress against him.

Citing a ruling of the SC, the former magistrate said that every citizen of the Philippines must respond and testify to the subpoena issued by Congress and its committees.

“Kapag sinubpoena ka ng Senado o Congress (House of Representatives), o committee na nila. You have to appear, hindi pwedeng sabihin mo na ‘that will violate my constitutional rights.’ That’s premature,” Carpio said in an interview with Teleradyo on Monday morning. 

(When you are subpoenaed by the Senate or Congress, or their committees, you have to appear. You cannot say, ‘that will violate my constitutional rights.’ That's premature.)

On March 15, Quiboloy's camp sent a letter to Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, in response to the show-cause order issued on March 12 regarding the probe into the alleged abuses involving him and his organization, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

In the letter, the preacher’s camp argued that appearing in a Senate probe would violate Quiboloy’s constitutional rights, one of which is the preacher’s right against self-incrimination. 

This prompted Hontiveros to ask the Senate to issue an arrest warrant against the preacher, which was signed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on March 19.

Meanwhile, Carpio also explained that Quiboloy can only invoke his right against self-incrimination if an incriminating question has been asked during the investigation.

“Kasi ang right against self-incrimination, you’ll be asked a question (where) the answer will incriminate you,” the magistrate said.

(Because the right against self-incrimination means you'll be asked a question where the answer could incriminate you.)

“Hindi pwedeng before you appear, sasabihin mo na there’s a question calling for a self-incriminating answer,” he added.

(You cannot say that before you appear, there's a question calling for a self-incriminating answer.)

The right against self-incrimination is recognized and