Malacañang on Friday distanced itself from the legal battle of President Rodrigo Duterte’s friend and spiritual adviser, evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, who has been indicted on sex trafficking charges by American prosecutors.
“Pastor Quiboloy is a private individual capable of getting proper legal advice,” acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.
However, he could not say if Quiboloy will remain the president’s spiritual adviser even after such indictment or if retaining Quiboloy would be detrimental to the president.
“When it comes to personal relationships of the President, hayaan po nating ang Pangulo ang magsalita tungkol diyan (let us allow the president speak on personal matters),” Nograles added.
US federal prosecutors in Los Angeles filed charges against Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, and other church officials, including two US-based church administrators, for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation that threatened victims as young as 12 with “eternal damnation” and physical abuse.
In June this year, Duterte granted an interview with Quiboloy wherein he told the evangelist that he plans to live in a house given by Quiboloy after he steps down from the Presidency in June 30, 2022.
“Alam mo, alam mo saan ako gustong magtira? Iyong bahay na binigay mo. Sabi mo, pag-retire mo, may matirahan ka, iyon ang sabi sa akin ‘yong gabi na ‘yon na dinala mo ako doon. Iyon, doon siguro ako titira,” Duterte had said.
(You know where I want to live? In the house you gave me for when I retire. I might live there.)
“Siguro ang title niyan nasa sa developer pa kaya hindi ko mailagay doon sa ano ‘yong sa ano. Bakit ko ilagay na hindi ko pa man…hindi pa ako nag-retire eh ang usapan namin ni Pastor, pag-retire ako doon ako titira. Akala siguro nila nakuha ko ‘yong maganda na bahay dahil sa kurakot. Sabi ko nga noon sa kanila “bigay ni Pastor ‘yan,” the President added.
(The title of the land might still be with the developer…I haven’t…maybe they thought I got it from corruption. But it was your gift.)
In May 2016 before he was elected President, the then Davao City mayor also said that he received a lot of gifts from Quiboloy.
“When I was mayor, Pastor bought three properties. He said ‘I will buy properties for your children because if anything happens to you because of your work, if you die …’ because I really go after the criminals here. He gave me a house at Woodridge. I didn’t accept it. And it’s there. Go to Woodridge, who bought it? It’s Pastor who paid,” Duterte said.—LDF, GMA News
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