The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) made a counteroffer of P20 million to anyone who can unmask the identity of the one who donated the P10 million bounty against its founder, Pastor Quiboloy.
“According to the officers of KOJC, they are offering P20 million to those who can provide information as to who gave the private money to (Interior) Secretary Benhur Abalos for the arrest of Pastor Quiboloy,” KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon said in an interview with TeleRadyo.
“We are of the belief that receiving money from private individuals is illegal,” Torreon added.
Last month, Abalos announced that private citizens have pooled a P10-million reward for anyone who can give information that will lead to the arrest of the fugitive religious leader.
Quiboloy’s co-accused – Crisente, Paulene and Ingrid Canada as well as Sylvia Cemañes and Jackielyn Roy – each have a P1 million bounty.
For his part, former President Rodrigo Duterte accused the administration of “demonizing” Quiboloy to divert attention from “corruption, incompetence and abuse of authority” in the country.
Duterte, who is administrator of KOJC’s properties, said he will take legal action over the recent raids in Davao City.
“It is unfortunate that the obsession of this administration to demonize Pastor Quiboloy even before he could be convicted by a court of law is a clear maneuver to divert attention from the deepening crises pawned by corruption, incompetence and abuse of authority,” Duterte said in a statement read during the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
The Senate probe sought to look into the alleged excessive use of force in a June 10 attempt by the Philippine National Police to serve the warrants on Quiboloy at his properties in Davao City.
“It is with a heavy heart that I am constrained to take action against all those responsible for the coordinated but illegal raid,” Duterte said.
At least 15 PNP personnel were relieved following the raids, but PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil the sanction was not for alleged excessive use of force during the warrants.
“As a result of the investigation, we have administratively relieved 15 PNP personnel including 3 police commissioned officers and 12 police non-commissioned officers,” Marbil told the Senate.
“Let me clarify these officers were relieved not for their abuses but for their failure to arrest the fugitives of the law Quiboloy and his co-accused,” the PNP chief added.
Eleanor Cardona, KOJC’s executive secretary and who read Duterte’s statement, told senators Quiboloy was “not evading the law” but was only taking steps to ensure his safety.
“He will face the human trafficking, rape and other allegations against him that you know are not true,” she said.
Over the weekend, the Department of Justice called on Quiboloy to surrender and face the charges against him.
“The wheel of justice may grind slowly, but it does function. We are striving to improve law enforcement and the administration of justice,” DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said.
President Marcos in April assured Quiboloy all proceedings in his child and sexual abuse cases would be “fair,” following the fugitive televangelist’s conditions for his surrender, which includes protection from extradition as he also has pending cases in the United States.
“What I can promise is that all the proceedings will be fair. As to the involvement of the United States, that’s going to take a long time. That’s going to take years. So I don’t think that it is something he should worry about,” Mr. Marcos said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline PNP relieves 15 cops for failing to arrest Quiboloy
