Senator seeks arrest warrant vs Quiboloy

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros yesterday sought the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy for defying the Senate’s summons to attend the hearing on alleged sexual abuses in Quiboloy’s ministry.

During the Senate women and gender committee’s fourth hearing, Hontiveros cited Quiboloy in contempt and asked Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to order his arrest.

Quiboloy, a Kingdom of Jesus Christ pastor, is a scammer who duped his former followers to finance his lavish lifestyle, Hontiveros said.

“If we allow witnesses of the Senate to simply claim that appearing before a committee would violate his or her constitutional right to be presumed innocent and his or her right against self-incrimination, this committee will be powerless in launching investigations,” Hontiveros explained.

“I cite in contempt Apollo Quiboloy for his refusal to be sworn or to testify before this investigation. This committee requests the Senate President to order his arrest so that he may be brought to testify,” she added.

Quiboloy found an ally in Sen. Robinhood Padilla who opposed the arrest order, citing Section 18 of the Senate rules on inquiries in aid of legislation which states that a “majority of all the members of the Committee may, however, reverse or modify the aforesaid order of contempt within seven days.”

“Please forgive me for opposing your contempt order. With all due respect to the senator, whose work in fighting for her advocacies I admire,” Padilla said without citing reasons for blocking the arrest order.

Padilla is an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose spiritual adviser is Quiboloy.

Hontiveros allowed Padilla to gather support from other panel members for his objection but appealed to other committee members not to overrule or modify her arrest order.

Other panel members are Senators Nancy Binay (vice chair), Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Imee Marcos, Raffy Tulfo, Bong Go, JV Ejercito and Mark Villar.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III are ex officio members.

Hontiveros ordered Quiboloy’s arrest despite a letter sent by the pastor’s counsels