Quiboloy now a ‘fugitive’; surrender seen as his cases ‘bailable’

Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy is now considered a “fugitive” after authorities again failed to serve an arrest warrant against him after visiting his possible hideouts, an official of the National Bureau of Investigation said.

“We are not sure that he is still here in Davao, but we are pretty sure that he is still here in the Philippines because based on the record of the Bureau Immigration, he has not left the country,” NBI Southeastern Mindanao chief Archie Albao said.

“Under the law, if you are not arrested, you are considered a fugitive from justice,” he said.

In a separate interview with Newsline, Albao said: “It is possible that Quiboloy will also surrender because the cases against him are bailable.”

“We hope he surrenders to us, but based on the pronouncement of thelawyers, they are concerned with his security…If he surrenders before us, we can protect him.”

On Thursday morning, two more of Quiboloy’s co-accused in the childand sexual abuse cases against him surrendered to the NBI-Southeastern Mindanao.

KOJC members and Quiboloy’s co-accused Jackielyn Roy and Ingrid Canada posted bail at the Davao City Hall of Justice.

Albao said this brought to five the number of Quiboloy’s co-accused who have posted bail.

“When they knew that they already have a warrant of arrest, they didn’t want to hide all the time while the cases were pending, so they turned to us,” Albao said.

Quiboloy’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said they would exhaust all judicial remedies as he lamented that “some powerful individuals” were “hell-bent on persecuting” his client.

A Davao City court on Thursday ordered the arrest of the televangelist, who was facing charges of sexual assault, human trafficking, and labor violations, among other allegations of abuse.

Quiboloy also has a standing warrant of arrest from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for alleged frauds in the United States.

For its part, the Makabayan bloc of the House of Representatives welcomed the issuance of an arrest warrant against Quiboloy.

Party-list Reps. France Castro of ACT Teachers and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela called it “a significant development in the pursuit of justice for the victims.”

“We stand in solidarity with the victims and advocates seeking justice in this case. It is imperative that the legal process moves swiftly to ensure that those responsible for heinous crimes are held accountable and that justice is served,” Castro said.

“It is a stark reminder of how individuals who hold power and influence often exploit and abuse the vulnerable. For far too long, Quiboloy managed to evade justice, shielded by his connections and the protection of former President Rodrigo Duterte,” Brosas added.

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