Hontiveros urges lookout bulletin vs Quiboloy

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday officially requested an immigration lookout order against Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy from the Department of Justice.

In a letter addressed to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla, Hontiveros said she requested the lookout order to "ensure that he will be physically present in the Senate for the hearing."

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, which she chairs, is set to start its investigation into the alleged crimes committed by Quiboloy's church in January next year.

"I am intending to set the hearing date on 23 January 2024, during which the Committee will require the presence of Mr. Quiboloy. In the interest of justice and due process, it is my strong desire to ensure that he will be physically present in the Senate for the hearing," she said in the letter.

"For this reason, I respectfully request your good department to issue an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order so that he will be in the Philippines during the hearing date," she added.

On Wednesday, DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said a formal request from Hontiveros is needed to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against Quiboloy.

Earlier this week, Hontiveros filed a resolution urging the Senate to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the "large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse" committed by the KOJC, under the leadership of Quiboloy.

In her Senate Resolution 884, Hontiveros said that "considering that the crimes were committed within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines and considering that crimes are taking place even at present as Quiboloy remains free to run the operations of KOJC, it is imperative that an investigation be undertaken with dispatch."

"An investigation in aid of legislation will also allow us to determine whether our updated human trafficking laws are able to cover large-scale and systemic acts of trafficking done under the cover of a religious organization," the resolution read.

Quiboloy, who served as the spiritual adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte, has been declared one of the most wanted suspected sex traffickers by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 2021, a federal grand jury in California indicted the religious leader and other officials of KOJC over the alleged sex trafficking of "pastorals" — young women within the KOJC selected to work as personal assistants for Quiboloy.

Citing unnamed informants, the resolution said that the pastorals are divided into the "inner circle" and the "inner of the innermost circle", with the latter category being made to perform acts of a sexual nature and the former category being made to perform other personal tasks such as washing Quiboloy's clothes, bathing him, cleaning his bedroom and massaging him.

"Some of these pastorals were still minors during their recruitment and during the period they were made to perform sexual services," it said.

"Apollo Quiboloy allegedly coerces the members of the organization — many of whom are minors — to perform exploitative acts, such as begging in the streets and soliciting money from strangers," it added.

Last year, the religious leader was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, among 40 other individuals and entities sanctioned due to their supposed connection to corruption or human rights abuse across nine countries.

Quiboloy's counsel, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, downplayed the Senate investigation led by Hontiveros, stressing that the latter should file criminal complaints against the KOJC if she has enough evidence to support her claims.

Citing a recent decision of the Supreme Court, Topacio insisted the upper chamber is "not in the position" to identify whether Quiboloy and his church are liable for the alleged crimes.