QUIBOLOY FACES SENATORS FOR THE FIRST TIME: Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy faces senators for the first time during the public hearing of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality on October 23, 2024. (Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy allegedly ordered the killing of its former members, a confessed member of the 2nd Metro Davao Signal Battalion told senators on Wednesday.
During the Senate panel on women’s hearing on Quiboloy’s alleged crimes, former KJC worker Eduard Masayon said the 2nd Metro Davao Signal Battalion is composed of KJC members and workers. It is under the helm of Sonshine Media Network International and is considered a part of KJC’s security department, which is also related to Task Force Davao.
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Panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked whether or not it is true that Quiboloy ordered the killing of former KJC members.
Masayon answered in the affirmative and told the story of now-deceased KJC member Simon Tagnipez. It was unclear how Tagnipez died, but Masayon said he was killed.
“Did Quiboloy order the killing of former KJC members? Hontiveros asked Masayon in Filipino.
“Yes, because Simon’s story, they have been telling that to us,” Masayon replied in Filipino.
Masayon said Tagnipez killed a datu named Diarog.
“Are Diarog and Simon Tagnipez one and the same person? If Quiboloy is mad at Diarog, why would he order the killing of Simon?” Hontiveros asked.
At this point, Masayon bared how Tagnipez changed after he “killed” Diarog.
“I was with him in the KJC compound in Catitipan where he also served as a security. He seemed normal until he left KJC. He did not receive any threat because he chose to remain silent at that time. But after many years, he went live on Facebook, baring that he is now against Quiboloy,” he said in Filipino.
“He brought a bible that is against our doctrine. His family told us that some reached out to encourage him to come back. But he no longer wanted to. Now he said, ‘a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.’ Since he killed someone, he already knew that something was going to happen to him,” he added.
Hontiveros again asked if it was really Quiboloy who ordered the killing of some KJC members.
“Maybe it was not him who ordered such. Maybe he was unaware. Is it really him?” she asked.
Masayon said killings would not happen if it was not ordered by Quiboloy.
“Why would we do that if it weren’t ordered by some higher-up? Who are we? We may get mad at our fellow worker, at another human being who left the ministry, but that’s that. We only get mad. But if it was ordered by some higher-up, we have no choice but to do it,” he explained.