Senate: Quiboloy not entitled to get relief from SC over arrest order

The Senate building at the GSIS Complex in Pasay City. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA CITY, Philippines – Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is not entitled to relief from the Supreme Court to avoid the arrest order issued by the Senate.

This came after Quiboloy went to the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Senate from implementing its arrest order.

The Senate said in its comment that “Petitioner (Quiboloy) has failed to establish a clear and unmistakable right that is under threat, nor is he at risk of suffering an irreparable injury” should the arrest order be implemented. The Senate urged the SC to dismiss Quiboloy’s petition.

The Senate said the self-proclaimed son of God did not provide any proof but merely predicted what would happen if he attended the Senate inquiry.

Quiboloy was ordered arrested and detained for his continued refusal to attend the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality’s probe on allegations of sexual abuse, human trafficking, forced labor, and other human rights violations.

READ: Quiboloy arrest, detention at Senate ordered

“He offers not a right but a speculative and doubtful prediction of what will happen if he attends a legitimate inquiry, as if he is prescient as to how the 24 senators will act in the future,” read the comment.

The Senate sent its first invitation to Quiboloy on Jan. 23, 2024. However, Quiboloy on sent a representative. During the Senate’s second hearing on February, 2024, Quiboloy or a representative failed to appear.

On the third hearing in March, Quiboloy again failed to appear despite a subpoena.

Then, Quiboloy issued 17 conditions that must be met before attending the Senate hearing.

READ: Hontiveros finds ‘Quiboloy conditions’ absurd

The Senate added that the injuries claimed by Quiboloy because of the Senate’s arrest order “is purely self-inflicted.”

“He would not be in this predicament had he simply performed an obligation that every citizen of this country is bound to perform,” it added.

The Senate added that there is no urgent necessity to provide any provisional remedy in favor of Quiboloy since he is already hiding from legitimately issued Legislative and Judicial processes.

“In fact, it is the State who is under the urgency to locate and find the petitioner to bring him before the appropriate authorities,” it added.

Quiboloy is already the subject of an arrest warrant from the Davao and Pasig courts for sexual abuse and qualified human trafficking.