Hontiveros assures Quiboloy due process in Senate inquiry

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday assured Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy that the upper chamber will observe due process in investigating the allegations thrown against the latter.

“Quiboloy is being afforded due process,” said Hontiveros who chairs the Senate panel leading the probe, in aid of legislation, into the alleged sexual and physical abuses committed by Quiboloy.

“The committee assures Quiboloy, as it assures, and has always assured any and all witnesses, na humarap sa amin (facing us), that they will have the chance to answer the questions and to present their side in the subject of the resolution,” Hontiveros added.

The lady senator stressed that the Senate committee always observes respect for the different resource persons.

“Ano mang panig sila ng resolusyon na iniimbestiga. Ang language ng resolusyon is firmly on the side of the victim survivors, of the witness,” she pointed out.

“At the same time, sa pagpapatakbo ng hearing, dinidinig lahat ng (In running the hearing, we listen to all) stakeholders. We've already heard, for example, yung Jose Maria College. Iniintay na lang talaga si Quiboloy mismo na humarap at madinig (We are just waiting for Quiboloy to face us and hear him),” she added.

Quiboloy earlier announced his reluctance to show up publicly citing he has been receiving threats.

Hontiveros lamented Quiboloy’s legal counsel will not be allowed to talk, on his behalf, during the hearing as the allegations are directed personally to the religious leader.

“So unless kilalanin sila for good reason bilang resource person, hindi sila ang magsasalita…Hindi naman fair itanong kay attorney. Hindi rin fair itanong sa buong Kingdom. Si Quiboloy lamang ang pwedeng sumagot,” she added.

Further, Hontiveros said her panel is yet to receive Quiboloy’s formal response after accepting the subpoena.

“Wala pang info na may intensyong humarap. At ang isang huling sinabi nila tungkol sa pagdinig, yung isang paglalarawan nila na ay “bogus hearing. So wala pa rin sa tamang ugali ng pagrespeto sa hearing ng komite ng Senado. At wala pang sinasabing intensyon na i-honor yung subpoena,” she noted.

Hontiveros warned that Quiboloy’s continued defiance of the Senate’s subpoena would lead to the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.

“Kapag di pa rin sila humarap sa bisa ng subpoena, ay isa-cite ko sila in contempt at pa-arestuhin (If they will not show up again, I will cite them in contempt and let them arrested),” she said.

In a separate ambush interview, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Quiboloy to address various allegations against him in Congress and the Senate.

“He has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate to say his side of the story. Kaya po sinasabi niya, ‘hindi totoo lahat ‘yan, hindi totoo’, walang nangyaring ganiyan, ‘di sabihin niya,” Marcos said.

Hontiveros hopes Quiboloy would realize the “weight of the President’s remarks” on the matter.

“Well, sa kabila nung pagbanat ni Quiboloy pati kay Presidente, siguro naman ang pananalita ng occupant ng pinakamataas na opisina sa ating gobyerno at bansa, siguro naman may kahit konting bigat yan. At yun, pero tingnan po natin, dapat lamang may bigat po sa kanila iyon,” she said.

Hontiveros’ Senate panel subpoenaed Quiboloy after he failed to show up to multiple hearings on his alleged sexual crimes.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are tackling a measure seeking to revoke the franchise of Quiboloy’s Sonshine Media Network International.