Padilla seeks consideration, competent treatment for Quiboloy

Sen. Robinhood Padilla FILE PHOTO / Senate PRIB / Nelson Ortiz

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robin Padilla is seeking “consideration” and “competent treatment” for alleged rapist Apollo Quiboloy following the Senate and House panels’ contempt and suspension orders against the religious leader and his Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

In his privilege speech delivered during the Senate’s Monday plenary session, Padilla said he has only one request — and that if for the public, as well as his fellow lawmakers, to treat Quiboloy  “accordingly for his service to the nation.”

“[N]ais ko pong ihayag sa opisyal na rekord ang ating kahilingan: ang mabigyan po ng konsiderasyon ang hiling ni Pastor laban sa contempt order ng Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, at mabigyan ng daan ang pagpapalabas po ng Show Cause Order kay Pastor sa susunod na pagdinig,” said Padilla.

(I’d like to state in the official record our request: to give consideration to Pastor’s appeal against the contempt order of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, and to allow the release of Show Cause Order to Pastor at the next hearing.)

According to Padilla, the self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” is not running away from all the allegations and charges against him. The senator noted that Quiboloy, in fact, “wants to answer” all of these “in the proper forum where his rights to due process are respected.”

In terms of the suspension order for SMNI, Padilla said Quiboloy fought the New People’s Army threat by allowing SMNI to air “Memoirs of a Teenage Rebel”  — one of the senator’s movies supposedly aiming to deter the “NPA recruitment among youths.”

Because of SMNI’s support, he said many rebels returned to the fold of the law.

He added SMNI supported the whole-of-government approach against the insurgency.

He likewise said that the Department of Justice is now dealing with all the allegations against Quiboloy, emphasizing that “there’s no longer a need” for Congress to probe the same.

“It is the judiciary that will determine one’s guilt or innocence; and congressional hearings would entail taxpayers’ money,” he said.

Padilla even questioned what he called “unjust” shutdown of SMNI due to an alleged violation of only one program.

“Malinaw naman pong pagsagasa ito sa ating freedom of religion and freedom of speech,” Padilla claimed.

(This is clearly a violation of our freedom of religion and freedom of speech.)

But right after he delivered his privilege speech, Senator Risa Hontiveros made a short manifestation countering some of Padilla’s claims.

The opposition senator specifically noted that records would show that there are, in fact, instances in the past where Senate hearings continued even though there are already ongoing cases in court.

“An example, Mr. President, is the Catherine Camilon case that is currently still being heard here in the Senate, in the Senate Committee on Public Order, even though the charges have been filed in the Court,” Hontiveros explained in a mix of English and Filipino.

She then proceeded to stress that no process in one branch of government is more important, or not as important, as the process in another branch of government.

“That is the essence of our system of checks and balances. And in that system of checks and balances, well within its rights, and there are rules that we follow, well within its rights, the Senate will continue its processes according to its mandate, according to its duties, and according to its own rules,” she added.

Hontiveros, as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, has been conducting a probe into Quiboloy’s alleged crimes.