Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been called to comply with the Court of Appeal’s (CA) freeze order on arraigned Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) head and ally Apollo Quiboloy’s assets after having been named administrator.
“‘Yung freeze order ng CA, dapat sundin kahit sino man ang may hawak ng properties (The CA’s freeze order should be followed by whoever it is with a hold on the properties),” Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Raul Vasquez stated.
“The fact na naging administrator of properties ng KOJC ang dating president, isang bagay na ‘di importante sa isyu ng freeze order. Ang importante diyan ay may freeze order at ‘yun ay dapat sundan. Habang nandyan ang order na yan, talagang dapat ipatupad,” he added.
(The fact that the former president became the administrator of the KOJC properties is irrelevant in the issue of a freeze order. What’s important is that there is a freeze order, which should be obeyed. While the order stands, it has to be implemented.)
Vasquez underscored that the freeze order terms were in no way negotiable.
In August, the CA ordered the freezing of 10 bank accounts, five motor vehicles, one aircraft, and seven real properties under Quiboloy’s name. Included in the order are the KOJC’s 47 other bank accounts, 16 motor vehicles, 16 real properties, as well as the 17 bank accounts, 26 motor vehicles, and five real properties of the KOJC media arm Sonshine Media Network International’s (SMNI) operator, Swara Sug Media Corporation.
The money and properties accumulated by Quiboloy have been linked to conspiracy, fraud, smuggling, money laundering, qualified human trafficking, child trafficking, sexual and child abuse, etc.—all “unlawful activities and predicate crimes” the CA found.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla recognized Duterte’s competence despite his notoriety.
“There's no prohibition. He's still a lawyer, he's very competent to be the administrator. Siyempre (Of course) he's very controversial, (but) he knows what he's doing,” he said.
