(UPDATES) MONTALBAN, Rizal — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday dared Apollo Quiboloy to show up and face the accusations hurled against him, calling him a “fugitive” who is hiding from the law.
The President issued the statement after Quiboloy’s camp questioned the motives of the private individuals who offered a P10 million bounty for his arrest.
“They can question their motives as much as they want. But he should show himself. I question his motives. Let me question his motives. Why is he always questioning us?” Marcos told reporters after the impounding process ceremony of the Upper Wawa Dam in Rizal.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. Photo from PCO
The President did not mention who he was referring to, but Quiboloy’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio on Tuesday said the reward was wrong on so many levels.
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Marcos maintained there was nothing wrong with the government accepting donations from private individuals who wanted to see Quiboloy arrested.
“Why not? They want to help us bring a fugitive to justice. You know, he is a fugitive. He is hiding from the law,” Marcos said.
“If there are private citizens who want to assist the government in that effort to bring him to justice, I don’t see why it is [an issue],” he said. “We’re just following the law. He should do that, too.”
Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos earlier said a P10-million reward was offered by private individuals to anyone with information that could lead to Quiboloy’s arrest on outstanding warrants for human trafficking and child sexual abuse charges.
In addition, P1 million will be given in exchange for information that will lead to the arrest of his co-accused.
Abalos, however, declined to name the donors, saying that the individuals were frustrated with the lack of developments in Quiboloy’s cases.
Quiboloy is facing sexual abuse and trafficking charges. The cases were transferred from the regional trial courts of Davao and Pasig cities to a Quezon City court.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte, the televangelist’s long-time ally, said in a previous briefing that he knew where Quiboloy was hiding but preferred to keep it secret.
This led the Philippine National Police (PNP) to say it was considering filing a complaint against Duterte for obstruction of justice.
However, former Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said PNP chief Rommel Francisco Marbil was “humorless” as Duterte was only joking.
“The statement of FPRRD (former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte)… is at best a joke, for which he is known for — or pulling the leg of the inquiring reporter. It was intended for the reporters to laugh — and they did,” Panelo said in a statement.
“Apparently, the chief PNP is a humorless person and cannot decipher a joke or a jest,” he added.
Panelo also said Marbil’s plan to file an obstruction of justice charge against Duterte was “laughable” and exposed the PNP chief’s “legal ignorance” on how the crime is committed.
“Under Sec. 1(c) of Presidential Decree No. 1829, a person who knowingly or willfully obstructs, impedes, frustrates or delays the apprehension of suspects and the investigation and the prosecution of criminal cases commits the crime of obstruction of justice,” he said.
Even if Duterte knew where Quiboloy was, Panelo said the former president was not obligated to tell the police where the suspect was, and not informing them was not an obstruction of justice.
Quiboloy, Duterte’s spiritual adviser, is also wanted in the United States for human trafficking charges.
WITH ARIC JOHN SY CUA
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