黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥斅燜ugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy said on Saturday that he would not surrender unless the government made a written guarantee that American authorities would not meddle in the cases of child sexual abuse and trafficking filed against him.

Quiboloy said in a 30-minute recorded statement on the YouTube channel of his Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) that he was in hiding not because he was guilty of the charges but because he was 鈥減reserving鈥� himself from the US authorities who might kidnap or assassinate him through 鈥渆xtraordinary rendition.鈥�

READ: Davao RTC issues arrest warrant for Quiboloy for sexual abuse

READ: Hunt on for Quiboloy: 鈥楴o special treatment鈥�

鈥淯nless you give me the guarantee I鈥檓 looking for, you won鈥檛 see me. Go ahead, manhunt me, I will stand up and not submit to your injustice. I will not submit to tyrannical rule,鈥� Quiboloy said.

He said that the written assurance should come from President Marcos, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, the chief of the PNP鈥檚 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the director of the National Bureau of Investigation.

Davao, Pasig cases

On April 1, Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 12 Presiding Judge Dante Baguio ordered law enforcers to implement the warrants issued against Quiboloy and his five other associates, noting that there was still no resolution on his motion for reconsideration in the Department of Justice (DOJ).

READ: Davao PNP serves arrest warrant vs Quiboloy, 5 others

The charges against Quiboloy are for violations of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

The other respondents in the child abuse case are Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemanes. They have all surrendered and are free on bail.Quiboloy, 73, and his coaccused are facing a separate case of qualified trafficking in persons, a nonbailable charge, in a Pasig City court.

Wanted by FBI, too

Besides the charges in Philippine courts, former President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 spiritual adviser is also on the most wanted list of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; sex trafficking of children; and bulk cash smuggling.

Quiboloy was indicted in California in November 2021 when Duterte was still president. The former president is now the administrator of the properties of Quiboloy鈥檚 sect, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), which includes SMNI.

The FBI said that under Quiboloy鈥檚 alleged labor trafficking scheme, KOJC members were brought to the United States on 鈥渇raudulently obtained visas鈥� and then forced to solicit donations for 鈥渁 bogus charity鈥� and money was used to finance church operations and the 鈥渓avish lifestyles of its leaders.鈥�

In his statement, Quiboloy alleged that the US authorities did not want to extradite him because the legal process would take a long time. Instead, the United States wanted an extraordinary rendition, either through kidnapping or assassination, he said.

Quiboloy said that there was already a $2-million bounty on his head, a claim that was denied by the FBI, according to a GMA 黑料社 report.

Friends with Duterte

鈥淚 am very inclined to think that assassination is really what will happen because it鈥檚 like they think that I am involved in politics here and I am a hindrance to their political plans,鈥� he said, without elaborating.鈥淚t is not my fault that President Duterte is my friend. We have been friends since we were young, we have been friends since he was a prosecutor until now, that is not my fault,鈥� he said.

An arrest warrant was also issued against the self-proclaimed 鈥渁ppointed son of God鈥� on March 19 by the Senate after he had ignored its summonses to appear in an inquiry into allegations he had repeatedly raped and physically abused several members of his sect.

READ: OSSA to arrive in Davao in next few days to serve arrest order vs Quiboloy

Conspiracy claim

He claimed that the Marcos administration had conspired with the FBI and Central Intelligence Agency to deliver him to the Americans.

鈥淪ince then, I was under surveillance while I was still here in my country. In my own compound, there are drones in sight鈥攄ay and night. These are the workings of the American authorities,鈥� Quiboloy said.

He said the arrest warrants from the Senate and from the House of Representatives, which opened a separate investigation of alleged franchise violations by SMNI, were all 鈥渢raps鈥� by the government to catch him.鈥榃ill stand my ground鈥�

鈥淭he endgame is if I go there, they will surrender me to American authorities. It will still end up on the plan of extraordinary rendition,鈥� he said.

Under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, extraordinary rendition is the 鈥渢ransfer of a person suspected of being a terrorist or supporter of a terrorist organization, association, or group of persons to a foreign nation for imprisonment and interrogation on behalf of the transferring nation.鈥�

Quiboloy said he would rather die in his own country than at the hands of the Americans.鈥淚 will be a martyr like Rizal, I will be a martyr like Bonifacio, I will stand my ground. It is much better, I repeat, that my blood be shed in my own country with me standing on my own feet, without me giving up my honor,鈥� Quiboloy said.

Appeal from Bato

Sen. Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa, a former national police chief, on Saturday appealed to Quiboloy, his friend, to yield to the authorities and respect the arrest order issued against him by the Davao City court.

鈥淚 have no other advice for him but to face the case against him and let the wheels of justice roll,鈥� Dela Rosa said in an interview with dwIZ.

鈥淔ace the music. He has no choice. The case against him has already been filed 鈥� (Quiboloy) cannot evade the long arm of the law,鈥� he added.

Sen. JV Ejercito also urged Quiboloy to turn himself in.

鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to be a fugitive. He should not be afraid to face his accusers and the case against him,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 have nothing against Quiboloy. So, I鈥檓 just praying for him 鈥� He should be given a chance to be heard,鈥� Ejercito added.

Dela Rosa dismissed speculations that Duterte was giving sanctuary to Quiboloy.

鈥淵ou cannot expect a former president, who is a lawyer and a former prosecutor at that, to provide refuge (for Quiboloy),鈥� he said.

鈥淗e knows that it鈥檚 a violation of the law. They should not make up stories (about the former president),鈥� Dela Rosa added.

The NBI in the Davao region has formed its own team to hunt for Quiboloy. The Philippine National Police had earlier organized its own trackers.

4 KOJC sites searched

According to NBI-11 Regional Director Archie Albao, Quiboloy鈥檚 five coaccused are expected to appear for arraignment within this month.

NBI and police teams have already scoured four properties owned by KOJC, three in Davao City and one in the Island Garden City of Samal. They were met by Quiboloy鈥檚 lawyers.

Albao noted that Quiboloy鈥檚 private plane and helicopter showed 鈥渘o signs of activity鈥� and there were no Bureau of Immigration records indicating he had left the country.

He also disclosed that the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms had already coordinated, mainly with the Davao regional police, to serve the Senate鈥檚 arrest warrant against Quiboloy. 鈥擶ITH REPORTS FROM MARLON RAMOS, JOSELLE R. BADILLA AND RYAN ROSAURO