Obstruction raps vs ex-Pres. Duterte possible — DOJ budget sponsor

Apollo Quiboloy. Photo from DILG Sec. Abalos/FACEBOOK PAGE

MANILA, Philippines — Complaints for obstruction of justice can be filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte for withholding the whereabouts of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy despite supposedly knowing where the latter hid, a lawmaker said on Monday.

During the plenary debates at the House of Representatives for the proposed 2025 national budget, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon who was defending the Department of Justice (DOJ) allocations was asked by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro to define obstruction of justice.

When Bongalon said that it is a law about penalizing people hindering the delivery of justice, Castro then asked if Duterte can be held liable under that law as the former president said last July that he knows where Quiboloy is hiding, but kept it a secret.

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

“The statement of the former president Duterte —  because he was asked if he knew where Quiboloy is — he said he does know, but it’s a secret.  Would you consider that as obstruction of justice?” Castro asked.

“Well a crime has different elements.  So if all the elements are present, regardless of who the possible offender is, well that will be a case for obstruction of justice.  And in fact, this representation has also issued a press statement where I said that there is a possible […] obstruction of justice complaint against him because of his statements,” Bongalon said.

“Publicly, he said he knows where Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is but he refused to divulge it as it is a secret.  So having said that Mr. Speaker, his statements, especially as he is a property administrator of the KJC compound, so in effect that would warrant a possible case of obstruction of justice,” he added.

Several lawmakers including Bongalon have called for a probe into Duterte and his relatives’ alleged role in hiding Quiboloy, who was the subject of an arrest order.  Quiboloy surrendered to authorities last September 8 as police doing a search at the KJC compound in Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, were closing in.

READ: House probe into Dutertes’ role in hiding Quiboloy sought 

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said Duterte cannot “distance himself” from Quiboloy’s decision to elude arrest because last March, the former president was appointed as the new administrator of KJC properties, including its compound in Barangay Buhangin.

But former Duterte administration chief legal counsel and spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte is just the administrator for the KJC properties — which means it does not include the person Quiboloy.

In a short statement sent to INQUIRER.net last September 10, Panelo said that Duterte as a lawyer knows that it is not right to coddle a fugitive.

READ: Panelo: Duterte is just administering KJC properties 

Previously, Senator Robinhood Padilla also laughed off possibilities of charging Duterte for obstruction of justice, saying that the former president may only be joking.

Padilla has been an ally of the Dutertes, being a member of the PDP-Laban faction under the former chief executive.

READ: Duterte possibly joking about knowing Quiboloy’s location – Padilla 

No communication with ICC

Aside from a possible case against Duterte, Castro also asked Bongalon about the status of the crimes against humanity cases against the former president before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The complaints were filed by relatives of drug war victims, in response to the bloody drug war implemented by the Duterte administration.

According to Bongalon, the ICC has not communicated with the DOJ as of now.

“Regarding the ICC, what is the status, for example, the possibility that there will be an arrest (of the) former president because of the cases filed in the ICC, not only president Duterte, with others also.  So what is the status?” Castro asked.

“As of now, nothing of record from the ICC,” Bongalon replied.

Duterte and past administration allies have been under fire recently at the House for different issues.  Aside from criticisms hurled at the House quad-committee hearings, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget — headed by Duterte’s daughter Vice President Sara Duterte — was also subject to scrutiny.

Last Thursday, the House committee on appropriations decided to cut the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget for 2025, from P2 billion to P733 million after Vice President Sara Duterte initially refused to answer lawmakers’ questions, and eventually skipped the second hearing.