P10M bounty on Quiboloy ‘wrong on so many levels’ – Topacio

Apollo Quiboloy (INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA, Philippines — The announcement of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of televangelist Apollo Quiboloy was “wrong on so many levels,” his legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, said on Tuesday.

According to Topacio, the reward being offered should come from public funds and not from private individuals.

READ: P10 million reward offered for the arrest of fugitive Apollo Quiboloy

“This particular reward for information leading to the arrest of Pastor Quiboloy raises a lot of serious questions and is wrong on so many levels,” Topacio said in an interview on ANC.

“First of all […], usually when you put up a reward for the arrest of a person, it is covered by a memorandum, and the funds for the reward are coursed from intelligence funds, meaning public funds,” he explained.

“In this case, as admitted by [Interior] Secretary [Benhur] Abalos, the reward or the bounty being offered come from private persons, and what is even more strange is that he refuses to disclose who these persons are,” he added.

On Monday, Abalos announced that a P10 million reward would be given to anyone who offers information that leads to Quiboloy’s arrest.

P1 million each will also be given to those who will provide information on his other five co-accused, who are also associated with Quiboloy’s religious sect, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

The co-accused are Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Cemañes and Jackielyn Roy.

But Abalos said that the rewards’ donors, who were “frustrated” with the current issues on Quiboloy, were anonymous.

“This is strange because, number one, why are there private funds and private persons interested in the capture of Pastor Quiboloy?” Topacio asked.

“The enforcement of warrants is purely governmental function. If there are people interested in the arrest of this certain person subject of a warrant and offers a reward, this raises the question of ‘Why?’ ‘Who are these persons?” Topacio further inquired.

READ: Is Duterte liable for ‘hiding’ info on Quiboloy’s location? PNP mulls

Quiboloy and his other co-accused face charges of child and sexual abuse, as well as human trafficking, which were issued by a Pasig and a Davao court.

The Senate has likewise ordered his arrest in March over his refusal to appear before an investigation on his cases.

Meanwhile, Abalos said in an interview with INQUIRER.net that he saw “nothing wrong” with the provision of the reward money for Quiboloy’s arrest.

“I don’t see anything wrong with that. It’s perfectly normal for me for persons to be volunteering to make sure that the ends of justice will be met,” Abalos said.

“This is a symbol of people who would like to help because of what Pastor Quiboloy is doing right now, to make sure that the ends of justice will really be served,” he added.