MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) has no policy which requires its members to beg for fundraising, its embattled founder Apollo Quiboloy said on Wednesday.
Quiboloy made the categorical denial when this matter was brought up by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who heads the Senate committee on women which investigates the alleged crimes of the religious leader.
READ: Ex-KJC member says she underwent 10-day dry fasting as punishment
鈥淭he Kingdom has no policy on [making members] beg,鈥� Quiboloy said in response to Hontiveros, who asked if he made adults and children members of KJC beg to sustain his lifestyle as well as the operation of the church.
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Hontiveros further pressed: 鈥淲hile there is no such policy, did you make them beg, the adults?鈥�
鈥淣o, there is no truth to that,鈥� Quiboloy said in response.
READ: Quiboloy on voluntary fasting: We have freedom of religion
Earlier in the hearing, former KJC member Teresita Valdehueza, who once headed fund-raising activities for the church鈥檚 logistics department, said there was a P10 million to P15 million monthly quota imposed on her every December.
鈥淚 organized the nationwide caroling to meet my quota,鈥� Valdehueza said, noting that caroling is 鈥渙ne of our sources of funds and which had been participated in by every member of the ministry all over the country.鈥�
鈥淲e recruited and trafficked our young people from Mindanao and Visayas to carol in the provinces of Luzon and in the National Capital Region cities,鈥� she also said.
Valdehueza said other KJC workers under the logistics department are also ordered to sell kakanin or rice cakes from Monday to Saturday.
She said these workers have to meet the daily P500 to P1,000 quota.
鈥淎nd when they could not provide for their own foods, they would just resort to fasting,鈥� she said of the KJC workers.