On Monday, February 7, celebrities could not help but react to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy praying over vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte-Carpio after he was indicted by the United States for human trafficking and other charges.
A special adviser to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, Quiboloy became part of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) most wanted list, issuing a wanted poster for his whereabouts.
Duterte-Carpio is the running mate of former senator and son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
TV personality Kiko Rustia urged the public to be wary of the BBM-Sara tandem now that Quiboloy has arrest warrants under his name.
Kung hindi ka nababahala sa litrato na to, ewan ko na lang. https://t.co/CuHG08Z4Gr
— kiko rustia (@kikorustia) February 1, 2022
Saab Magalona and Phi Palmos even tagged the FBI and the US Embassy and informed the US organization about Quiboloy’s location.
Hi @FBI @USEmbassyPH https://t.co/bdXL1SH6Gc
— Saab (@saabmagalona) February 5, 2022
FYI @FBI @USEmbassyPH https://t.co/gpshgaGH9u pic.twitter.com/GhuCQ2IyZE
— Phi Palmos (@phipalmos) February 5, 2022
Actor-producer-and-theater director Bart Guingona also stressed that Quiboloy being part of the FBI’s most-wanted list showed how the Duterte Government allows “depravity.”
Everyday freak out. Day 156: Quiboloy on the FBI wanted list should wake people up to the depth of depravity of this government. But fat chance. Meron pang mga DDS at Makoy supporters na ipinagtatanggol ang mga kriminal.
— Bart Guingona (@guingonabart) February 5, 2022
Veteran actor Jaimé Fabregas even urged the pastor to “prove your innocence.”
THE TRUE SON OF GOD FACED HIS ACCUSERS! Face your accuser, Quiboloy, prove your innocence!!
— Jaime Fábregas (@fabre_jaime) February 7, 2022
Musician Jim Paradas took a swipe at Quiboloy by asking if the latter was surprised that he did not know of his criminal charges against the US.
https://twitter.com/Jimparedes/status/1490323315172335620
Gabe Mercado also has his style of ridiculing the embattled founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name church.
He wrote: “Hoy hoy, Quiboloy!
“Naalala mo pa ba nung ika’y tumawag sa’min at ika’y umiiyak?
“Tapos, pagkatapos no’n, kay tagal mong nawala nagulat na lang ako nung narinig ko ang balita.”
It referenced the Parokya ni Edgar song Buloy, which told a story of a jolly guy who shocked his peers after committing suicide.
Hoy hoy, Quiboloy!
Naalala mo pa ba nung ika'y tumawag sa 'min
at ika'y umiiyak?Tapos, pagkatapos non, kay tagal mong nawala
nagulat na lang ako nung narinig ko ang balita https://t.co/fMIBlmKOA8— Gabe Mercado (@gabemercado) February 5, 2022
Quiboloy’s camp made a statement claiming that it was “suspicious” that charges against him came out during election time.
“Without going into the merit, the timing of the release of this poster is very suspect… why did they wait until now when the elections are starting?
“It doesn’t make sense… the only logical reason here is that they are using the closeness of Pastor Quiboloy to President Duterte to indirectly bring Duterte down,” said Atty. Ferdie Topacio, representative of the accused pastor.
Posting an article from the Washington Post, social media personality Inka Magnaye rebutted Topacio’s statement.
Asking a question back, Magnaye tweeted, “So Quiboloy’s camp is saying the Feds released the wanted poster (because) they care about swaying Philippine politics? Not because Quiboloy is a modern-day cult leader?”
https://twitter.com/inkamagnaye/status/1490329614153318400
Is Quiboloy hiding?
In a virtual briefing on Sunday, Topacio clarified that the pastor is not “hiding.”
“There’s no need to ask the public for information regarding Pastor Quiboloy’s whereabouts because [he] is not in hiding. [One] must be hiding under [a] rock not to know where the pastor is,” he said, adding that his client was in Davao City and could still be seen on live TV.
The lawyer also dismissed the call that Quiboloy should voluntarily submit himself to the FBI and face trial.
“Everyone knows there’s a process for extradition. I think [the release of the poster] is merely designed to humiliate and embarrass the pastor. This is a very despicable act,” Topacio pointed out.
Despite his close links to President Duterte, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated it would process Quiboloy’s extradition to the United States if it is requested.
“If we receive the request, we will do our job within the bounds of the law and processes in our department, regardless of the personality involved,” said DOJ’s state counsel George Ortha II during an interview with DZMM TeleRadyo.
