(LEFT) Apollo Quiboloy and Rodrigo Duterte. PHOTO FROM MALACANANG/INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Robin Padilla has laughed off the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) pronouncement that they are looking at whether or not former President Rodrigo Duterte may not be held liable for obstruction of justice after claiming that he knows but won’t disclose fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy’s whereabouts.
“That’s funny,” Padilla told reporters in Filipino in an ambush interview on Thursday after being asked to comment on PNP’s statement.
“I also studied Criminology—that’s a bit—I think that’s too much. If he talked like that, we’re not even sure if he’s joking or he’s serious,” he added.
According to Padilla, an ally of the Duterte family, the PNP can ask the former president to release a statement on the issue, considering the possibility that Duterte is only joking about knowing Quiboloy’s location.
Quiboloy is facing child molestation, sexual abuse, and qualified human trafficking cases. The Davao and Pasig courts have ordered his arrest.
The Supreme Court granted the Department of Justice’s bid to transfer Quiboloy’s sexual abuse case from a court in Davao to Quezon City to avoid a miscarriage of justice.
Apart from these, the Senate panel on women headed by Senator Risa Hontiveros is seeking Quiboloy’s arrest.
The latest arrest attempt against Quiboloy was conducted on June 10. Duterte lambasted what he called an “excessive and unnecessary force” implemented by the police in serving arrest warrants against Quiboloy.
READ: Imee Marcos to back Rodrigo Duterte ‘…even if I’m the only one left’
Duterte also criticized the Marcos administration, asking how the constitutional rights of Filipinos would be upheld if “the most fundamental of these rights are being trampled upon and blatantly violated.”
READ: ‘Excessive, unnecessary force’ used in bid to get Quiboloy – Ex-Pres. Duterte