The Department of Justice (DOJ) is poised to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) for televangelist Apollo Quiboloy if the Senate investigation into his alleged sexual abuse and human trafficking charges moves forward.
DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said this when asked by reporters about the likelihood of the agency issuing an ILBO, as Senator Risa Hontiveros had previously requested.
Clavano said a Senate probe would be enough for the DOJ to issue the lookout order.
“I don’t know if you remember the Pharmally case, where ILBOs were issued on the basis of a Senate inquiry or Senate investigation. That we can most likely justify,” he said.
Clavano noted that a crucial prerequisite for issuing an ILBO is an ongoing investigation, whether it is a congressional probe or preliminary investigation.
Meanwhile, Senator Robin Padilla branded as “baseless and damaging” the National Telecommunications Commission’s 30-day suspension order on Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), which is believed to be founded by Quiboloy.
Padilla filed Senate Resolution 895 supporting SMNI and condemning the NTC for implementing the suspension order without due process, claiming the network has helped the government in its anti-terrorism campaign.
The senator also cited the “transgression” of SMNI’s right to due process over the suspension order, warning it would result in “serious and irreparable damage” to the network and its employees.
Padilla, who chairs the Senate committee on public information and mass media, said SMNI’s programs educate the people, especially the youth, against communist propaganda and recruitment strategies.
The senator also said the network has received various awards and recognition.
Clavano, meanwhile, clarified that an ILBO doesn’t prevent someone from exiting the country but functions as a monitoring mechanism.
Hontiveros previously urged the DOJ to issue an ILBO against Quiboloy, following her resolution calling for an investigation into sexual abuse and human trafficking allegations against the religious leader and his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church.
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, led by Hontiveros, is starting its probe on Quiboloy and his religious sect on Jan. 23.
In a letter to the DOJ, Hontiveros expressed her committee’s intention to require Quiboloy’s physical presence at the hearing.
“In the interest of justice and due process, it is my strong desire to ensure that he will be physically present in the Senate for the hearing,” the Senate Deputy Minority Leader stated.
“For this reason, I respectfully request your good department to issue an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order so that he will be in the Philippines during the hearing date,” she added.
Hontiveros, in Senate Resolution No. 884, urged the upper chamber to promptly investigate alleged malpractices by Quiboloy, supposedly involving coercive control over his followers.
The resolution detailed serious accusations, including human trafficking, rape, and sexual and physical abuse against Quiboloy.
Former KOJC members expressed their willingness to cooperate and testify before the Senate, setting the stage for a potentially intense confrontation.
Quiboloy’s lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, criticized Hontiveros for allegedly resorting to trial by publicity, challenging her to file criminal complaints instead.
Topacio argued that the Senate might not be the appropriate venue for such investigations, emphasizing the need for a fair legal process.
Hontiveros’s resolution asserted that Quiboloy, portraying himself as the “Appointed Son of God” and leader of the KOJC, enforced strict obedience through alleged brainwashing, psychological manipulation, and threats of “eternal damnation.”
It also alleged the existence of a group of women known as “pastorals” who performed various personal tasks for Quiboloy, with claims of minors being subjected to perform alleged sexual services.