Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, Dec. 12, called on the justice department to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy to prevent him from leaving the country and escape the probe into his religious group.
"I urged the Department of Justice to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order, which they can do motu proprio, to prevent Quiboloy from leaving the country. He must not escape accountability, our children's lives are at stake," Hontiveros said in a press conference in the Senate.
Hontiveros said many KOJC members had come out to testify about their tough experiences within the religious group and had asked to help them attain justice.
The Senator presented video testimonies of two former KOJC members, who claimed that they were coerced to beg for money.
A certain Arlene said she was part of the religious group's "inner circle."
"I was 15 years old noong una akong nakapag-serve kay Quiboloy. Sinasabak kami, namamalimos kami, dinadala kami sa Davao at Manila para mamamalimos. Ang una kong natirhan, una naming natirhan ng aking sister, ay Amoranto Stadium diyan sa Cubao noong 1991," she said.
Arlene also bared that they were forced to appear as disabled individuals and used fake associations, such as Children's Joy Foundation, Pag-asa ng Buhay, Pagdamay sa Dukha Association, and four others, to solicit money from strangers.
A 15-year-old alias Jackson, meanwhile, recounted how they were punished for not meeting the required quota of collected funds.
"Noong 2014, higit isang daan ang pinalo, kasali na ako dun. Isang daan [palo] bawat lalaki. Mahigit, ang babae, isang daan ang pinalo. Halos magapang na pagkatapos. Nakahapa ka talaga. Alam mo ‘yung parang paddie na pinapakita dun sa mga hazing? Maliit lang dun nang kaonti tapos makapal lang dun nang kaonti. Ganon ang pinapalo sa amin," Jackson said.
The Senator also showed a screenshot of a message from an anonymous, who gave instructions on how to solicit money and listed the penalties that an erring member may face.
On Monday, Dec. 11, Hontiveros filed a resolution urging the Senate committee to conduct a legislative inquiry into the "reported cases of human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse, and violence, and child abuse allegedly" perpetuated by the KOJC under Quiboloy's leadership.
The Senator said that if her committee may find the allegations against Quiboloy true, the latter may face several charges.
"On the top of my head, ilang mga batas para sa mga kakabaihan at kabataan, kasama na yung batas sa human trafficking, ay possibleng nilabag talaga na niya," she said.
"Kung mapatotohanan iyan ng pagdinig namin, ayan ay magsisilbing pundasyon para kasuhan siya," Hontiveros added.
