The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the regional trial courts (RTCs) in both Davao City and Pasig City to issue hold departure orders (HDOs) against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy to prevent him from leaving the country.
"I believe the prosecutors have already filed their motions to issue a hold departure order," said DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano IV.
Clavano confirmed that the criminal case filed against Quiboloy and five others before the Davao City RTC had been transferred to the Pasig City RTC.
A non-bailable charge of human trafficking is pending before the Pasig City RTC against Quiboloy and his co-accused. Transferred from the Davao City RTC were the charges for violations of Sections 10 (a) and 5 (b) of RA 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
It arose from the complaint filed by a 17-year-old girl who claimed she was sexually abused by Quiboloy.
With the transfer of the criminal case from the Davao City RTC, it is expected that the Pasig City RTC would issue the HDO pleaded by government prosecutors.
"Once you have a respondent or an accused that is a flight risk, especially given the resources that this person has, then the prosecutors are very diligent in making sure that doesn’t happen,” said Clavano.
The DOJ official pointed out that while no HDO has been issued yet, Quiboloy has been placed in the lookout bulletin of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to monitor if the KOJC founder will attempt to flee the country.
He said, intelligence information received by the DOJ show that Quiboloy "is still currently in the country.”
On the other hand, he assured that law enforcers continue to find Quiboloy who has been ordered arrested both by the Pasig City and Davao City RTCs.
