‘Son of God’ to face laws of mortals

Oh how the mighty have fallen, indeed.

The unceremonious end to pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s fugitive days happened on Sunday, when the self-appointed “Son of God” was cornered like a rat and flushed out of hiding in his sprawling compound in Davao after weeks of relentless police operations.

Quiboloy was arrested and whisked to police headquarters in Quezon City on a military plane in the dead of night, a hapless captive under the custody of mere mortals. His mug shots, showing him in regulation orange prison shirt with a placard stating the charge of anti-trafficking in persons act against him, were taken and posted on social media by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. for netizens to feast on.

It’s an unthinkable scene during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has provided a mantle of protection to his friend and spiritual adviser for decades. With support from Duterte and his allies, the eccentric leader of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) has become an untouchable and influential political figure despite being indicted in the United States for grave charges of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of children, and bulk cash smuggling in 2021. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has placed Quiboloy on its most wanted list.

Downhill for Quiboloy

The tide turned when the Marcos administration took office, and suddenly, Quiboloy seemed within reach of the country’s justice system.

In December last year, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, sought an investigation of the alleged “large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse” committed by Quiboloy and the KOJC on its members. Several witnesses came forward when the hearings began last January, but Quiboloy ignored the Senate’s summons, prompting the issuance of a warrant for his arrest on March 19.

In the wake of the Senate investigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a nonbailable qualified human trafficking case before a Pasig court and charges of sexual abuse of minors and maltreatment before a Davao City court that were later transferred to a Quezon City court.

It was downhill for Quiboloy after that. His arrest and subsequent trial for serious crimes—against children at that—are long overdue, and his prosecution must now be pursued in earnest.

Folk hero status

Quiboloy’s supporters have quibbled that he was not arrested but had surrendered, a nonissue really, except perhaps for those waiting to claim the P10-million bounty for his capture. It was as clear as day that the fugitive doomsday preacher had no recourse but to come out of hiding, after weeks of no-nonsense police operations under the steely command of Davao regional police chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III. That in itself is an incredible feat to achieve in Duterteland, for which Torre now deserves the folk hero status he’s been accorded by admiring citizens.

Now comes the tricky issue: Will it be the Philippines or the US that should have first crack at Quiboloy?

President Marcos settled the matter outright when he declared that Quiboloy should first face the charges filed against him in the country. He also noted that no extradition request has yet been filed, and that it was a matter for the courts to decide.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, however, said the government expects the US to file the extradition request “very soon” since Quiboloy is now in custody. “[R]emember, we have a treaty with the US despite the law of the land,’’ he said. The bilateral treaty with the US took effect in 1995.

Image of invincibility

This is an important matter that the government should get a tight grip on to ensure that justice for Quiboloy’s victims would be pursued to its logical end. The President is correct in asserting Philippine jurisdiction. But that’s assuming that our justice system would be independent and determined enough to conduct an unflinching prosecution of Quiboloy, who undoubtedly still has many favors to call and massive resources to forestall and delay court proceedings.

It is the job of the DOJ and its prosecutors to make sure that the cases against Quiboloy are airtight and are tried expeditiously. Given the fickle nature of politics in the country, it is of vital importance that these cases are resolved within the Marcos administration, which has resolutely shattered the pastor’s image of invincibility.

Certainly, Quiboloy must also be held accountable before the US courts for the string of horrible crimes he had committed in that country.

Either way, it must have dawned on Quiboloy—and hopefully, his supporters—that he is not beyond the laws crafted by humans. He might be able to wiggle out of his cases in the Philippines, who knows? But he’d still have to contend with the US courts and the FBI. He just might need to perform miracles to make these cases disappear.