Supporters of Apollo Quiboloy (Photo from JEAN MANGALUZ)
MANILA, Philippines — Supporters of the self-proclaimed son of God Apollo Quiboloy took to the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Monday to protest the legal storm the pastor has found himself in.
Quiboloy faces summons in both chambers of Congress.
The Senate wants him to answer the sexual abuse allegations while the House of Representatives is mulling the revocation of the franchise of Quiboloy’s Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
The general sentiment of the crowd had been that of betrayal.
They asked, ‘How could the government they wholeheartedly supported turn against them?’
“Ginamit nila ang National Tyranny Commision. NTC. National Tyranny Commission!” said SMNI host Jeffrey Celis.
(They used the National Tyranny Commission. NTC. National Tyranny Commission!)
Celis played on the name of National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that suspended SMNI’s operations in December 2023.
The SMNI host and the eager crowd also criticized President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., saying that he allowed Congress to abuse the NTC.
“Pinabayaan lamang ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang ganitong pang-aabuso ng NTC,” said Celis.
(President Marcos Jr. allowed this abuse of the NTC to happen.)
Celis earned the ire of the House of Representatives after he alleged on SMNI that Speaker Martin Romualdez spent almost P2 billion in his travels for one year.
Despite the sea of white, red tagging was rampant during the rally, with Quiboloy counsel Ferdinand Topacio Jr. hurling alleged communist affiliations of some government officials.
Other notable attendees at the demonstration were former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and veteran broadcaster Jay Sonza.
Quiboloy’s SMNI, quick to red tag progressive activists in the past, now protests the way it is being treated.
Banners brought by Quiboloy’s supporters carried the following messages:
“Restore law and order”
“Permanently restore freedom of the press”
“Stop massive corruption”
INQUIRER.net attempted to speak with some protesters in the crowd, but they said they only wanted to talk with SMNI.