October 10, 2024 | 4:00pm
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will resume its investigation into the alleged crimes of Apollo Quiboloy, the controversial doomsday preacher and spiritual adviser to former president Rodrigo Duterte, on October 23 at 10 a.m.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, announced that new witnesses are set to testify against the alleged trafficker.
Hontiveros said the committee will request the appropriate courts to allow Quiboloy’s attendance at the hearing.
“There are a number of victim survivors who will face him, and there are also new victim survivors who are chasing even just a bit of justice in the form of confronting their former leader,” she said.
The upcoming hearing follows a seven-month suspension, during which more alleged victims approached Hontiveros’s office seeking aid after watching the previous proceedings.
The Senate had previously issued an arrest warrant for Quiboloy due to his continuous absence from the panel’s hearings.
Quiboloy, who is on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list for alleged labor trafficking, faces numerous charges including child abuse and human trafficking.
He evaded authorities for months before surrendering in September after a tense standoff between police and his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) followers.
New witnesses. Hontiveros also expressed hope that Marissa Duenas, a KOJC officer and Quiboloy’s co-defendant who recently struck a plea deal with US authorities, would participate in the ongoing investigation.
“I also hope that Ms. Duenas—given her position in KOJC—would be open to participating in our continuing investigation on the various allegations of abuses and criminal acts by Quiboloy,” Hontiveros said.
The renewed Senate probe comes amid Quiboloy’s controversial bid for a Senate seat in the upcoming elections, despite his current detention and pending charges.
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