Apollo Quiboloy (left) and Senator Risa Hontiveros (File photos from SENATE SOCIAL MEDIA UNIT and INQUIRER files)
MANILA, Philippines — Despite reservations, fugitive and religious leader Apollo Quiboloy “chose to surrender” five firearms registered under his name to the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to his legal counsel, Israel Torreon.
Torreon said Quiboloy’s representatives surrendered the guns upon receipt of the written order canceling his license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) from PNP chief General Rommel Marbil.
READ: 5 firearms of Quiboloy have been surrendered to PNP, says Abalos
“Pastor Apollo Quiboloy chose to surrender the firearms even if he had reservations about the legal necessity of surrendering the same to the police authorities,” the statement issued by the lawyer on Wednesday read.
Like the Davao police’s report, Torreon explained that only five firearms—one colt rifle, two beret pistols and two metro pistols—were surrendered, while the 14 others were already “validly disposed of or duly transferred in other person’s names.”
The legal counsel added that Mr. Marlon Acobo, executive pastor and authorized representative, handed over the documents for the 14 firearms as proof of sale.
Torreon likewise revealed that he had filed a motion for reconsideration to revert Marbil’s order that revoked the LTOPF of Quiboloy.
“[L]egal counsel-Atty. Israelito P. Torreon filed a Motion for Reconsideration from the order of General Marbil canceling his LTOP in order to dispel the vicious rumors being circulated by certain biased sources that he is armed and dangerous or that he has a private army,” the legal counsel’s statement said.
The Firearms and Explosives Office of the PNP released its recommendation to revoke the LTOPF of the self-proclaimed “appointed son of god” after Senator Risa Hontiveros insisted that the religious leader is “armed and dangerous.”
Her office also shared with media members several screenshots of photos and videos of Quiboloy’s alleged private army training with firearms that circulated online.
Quiboloy and his subordinates, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Sylvia Camanes, Jackiely Roy, and Ingrid Canada, are facing charges of violating the Anti-Child Abuse Law (Republic Act No. 7610), specifically the provisions on sexual abuse of minors and maltreatment.
On April 3, a Davao Regional Trial Court issued an arrest order against Quiboloy for these violations.
On April 11, a Pasig City court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking, a non-bailable offense.
Apart from these cases, an arrest order issued by the Senate panel on women headed by Hontiveros had also been released.