The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed a complaint against lawyer Israelito Torreon, legal counsel of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy, and several others for sedition and inciting to sedition before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
CIDG Director Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III personally attested to the veracity of the complaint, the DOJ confirmed Thursday.
“We want to assure the public that our prosecutors are on top of the situation, this case will be handled thoroughly with utmost diligence and fairness,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
He vowed to closely scrutinize the complaint and file necessary charges, if deemed necessary.
It can be recalled that uniformed personnel from the PNP were aggressively prevented by KOJC supporters in the service of lawful arrest warrants against Quiboloy in August.
The supporters barricaded their compound, closed down national roads near the area, misled and attacked police officers.
The CIDG’s complaint alleged that KOJC members set tires ablaze, sprayed fire extinguishers at policemen, threw at them expired food, solid wastes, monobloc chairs and stones leading some officers to sustain injuries.
Aside from Torreon, the CIDG also filed inciting to sedition charges against former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Marie Badoy and Lord Byron Cristobal aka “Banat By,” among others for posting allegedly seditious videos in their Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros called out Quiboloy for stubbornly refusing to attend hearings at the Upper Chamber.
It can be recalled that Quiboloy’s camp requested the Pasig Regional Trial Court 159 to shield him from the Senate hearing set on Oct. 23.
The Senator said she would ultimately defer to the court’s decision on the matter, even as she reminded the detained pastor that he “really has an obligation to respond and not ignore the invitations and subpoenas from the Senate, especially his obligation to face his victims in their hearing.”
She pointed out that alleged victims of sexual abuse have long been waiting for the chance to face their supposed tormentor and give a recount of their ordeals in the hands of the self-proclaimed “appointed son of god.”
“Many of them have waited years to get the opportunity to talk about what really happened to them [in Quiboloy’s hands]. Some of them were minors when they were abused by Apollo Quiboloy,” the lawmaker said Thursday.
Hontiveros’ the committee on Women, Family, and Gender Relations also requested the Pasig RTC to allow Quiboloy’s co-accused, namely Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Pauline Canada, Ingrid Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes, to attended next week’s hearing.
As this developed, the court has dismissed Quiboloy’s plea for hospital arrest, according to the lawyers of one of the pastor’s alleged victims, known only as “Amanda.”
“Based on the manifestation of the court and defense earlier in open court, it is already denied,” lawyers Ian Enterina and Joeie Domingo, the complainant’s private prosecutors said in a message to reporters.
They added that “Amanda” looks forward to finally being able to testify against Quiboloy.
The complainant accused Quiboloy and several KOJC members of abusing her when she was just a minor. —With Vince Lopez
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “PNP-CIDG files sedition raps vs Quiboloy sympathizers”
