DOJ awaiting prelim report on Quiboloy before acting on lookout order
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DOJ) is waiting for a preliminary report on allegations against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy before deciding whether or not to issue a lookout bulletin order.
“Wala pa kasi sa amin ang preliminary report. [We still need a copy of a preliminary report]. There was an initial letter. But it will take more than a letter for us to issue an order for an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters Monday.
An ILBO is different from a court-issued hold departure order (HDO) since the former only directs the Bureau of Immigration to be on the lookout for the subject and to verify the status of a case against the subject person and not to restrict an individual from leaving the country.
To date, Quiboloy has no pending case.
In 2020, the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the complaints of rape, child abuse under Republic Act No. 7610, trafficking in persons through forced labor, and trafficking in persons through sexual abuse filed against Quiboloy and five other individuals.
The complainant was a former member of Quiboloy’s group who alleged that she was raped in 2014.
The case is the subject of a petition for review before the Office of the Justice Secretary.
Another case pending review by the Office of the Justice Secretary is a cyber-libel case in which Quiboloy was the complainant.
Last February 19, the Senate committee issued a subpoena to Quiboloy after ignoring its invitation to attend its hearings in connection with alleged sexual abuses and other human rights abuses in KJC.
Quiboloy has denied allegations of rape and involvement of various illegal activities.
The House of Representatives has also issued a subpoena to Quiboloy after he failed to attend its hearing on a bill seeking to revoke the congressional franchise of Swara Sug Media Corporation, which operates as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
