News Roundup 02 April 2022
Apr 02, 2022 • 5 min Read
LA paralegal admits role in trafficking scheme linked to Quiboloy’s members | PHILSTAR.COM – Maria de Leon, a paralegal in Los Angeles, admitted to preparing fraudulent documents for members of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy-led Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) members seeking permanent residency and citizenship in the United States, its Justice Department said. In a post on its website, the US DOJ said De Leon agreed to plead guilty to “participating in a scheme with administrators of the church, which is known as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name.” It added that De Leon also vowed to cooperate in the government case. De Leon and eight others, including self-styled pastor Quiboloy are facing a 42-count indictment that alleges running a labor trafficking scheme that forced church members to solicit donations for a bogus children’s charity, while the money funded the “lavish lifestyle” of its church leaders. The US DOJ said De Leon admitted to participating in the scheme to commit fraud in marriage and visa with leaders of KOJC for about eight years. The statement quoted the part of the plea agreement: “At the time [De Leon] completed the immigration paperwork for certain KOJC members, [she] knew that the immigration paperwork was based upon false representations of the bona fides of the underlying marriages” made by church officials.” She also admitted to filing fake “Petitions for Alien Relative” and other paperwork for KOJC members knowing that the marriages were arranged for securing favorable immigration status for a spouse. US prosecutors in November 2021 indicted Quiboloy, Teresita Tolibas Dandan and Felina Salinas on sex trafficking charges. They are accused of recruiting females aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants or “pastorals” for the religious leader. The US DOJ said De Leon is one of the defendants earlier arrested in the case, while five others are set for trial on March 21, 2023. “The court is expected to soon schedule a hearing for De Leon to formally enter her guilty plea to the conspiracy count. Once she pleads guilty, De Leon will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison,” it added.
80,000 join Robredo’s Bohol rally | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo has vowed to help Bohol in its tourism recovery and provide stable power supply should she win in the elections. Speaking before 80,000 people during the “Dilaab: Bohol People’s Rally” at old Tagbilaran Airport on Friday night (April 1), Robredo stressed that the province’s sustainable tourism development was needed to draw more visitors and hasten tourism recovery. “In this pandemic, tourism is one of the sectors most affected. And the Boholanos can feel it. The lost revenue in the province due to the pandemic is already billions,” she said in Filipino. The pandemic brought the global tourism industry to its knees last year. The sector in Bohol was not spared. On Panglao Island, the tourism jewel of Bohol, resorts, hotels, cafes and restaurants were closed with only a handful few were operating during the pandemic. Tourism makes up 15% of Bohol economic output. Bohol hosted 1.5 million foreign and domestic tourists in 2019, with Chinese visitors leading the arrivals, followed by Koreans, records from the Bohol Tourism Office showed. These tourists disappeared when provinces started closing their borders as strict quarantine guidelines had to be followed in March 2020 in a bid to control the spread of COVID-19. There were 85,000 tourists from January to February 2020 before the lockdown in 2020. The provincial government created programs to lure tourists. In November 2020, Bohol reopened to local visitors who arrived by plane, ending the travel ban in hopes of reviving a lockdown-devastated tourism industry that has fed many Boholano workers in the different tourism services. “Ang pangako ko po sa mga Boholano na palakasin at paunlarin ang buong industriya at lahat na bahagi nito-mga empleyado, mga negosyo pati komunidad mismo. Sisiguraduhin natin na turismo ay hindi lang safe kundi sustainable,” said Robredo. (My commitment to the Boholanos is to strengthen and develop the entire industry and all its components — employees, businesses and the community itself. We will make sure that tourism is not only safe but sustainable.)
Jubahib named Governor of the Year, Davao del Norte Most Sustainable and Liveable Province in PH | Manila Bulletin – It was a victorious night for Davao del Norte Governor Edwin “Kuya Gov” Jubahib as he reaped the fruits of year-long labor during the National Builders and MOSLIV Awards 2022 on Saturday, March 19, at Okada Manila, paving the way for him to be hailed as the Governor of the Year and Davao del Norte as the Most Sustainable and Liveable Province in the Philippines, thus, bringing the Dabaonon excellence to even greater heights. The governor said that the brand of leadership he offers solely focuses on elevating the lives of the Dabaonons, especially the underserved, providing equal opportunities and services to its constituents that eventually led to the real transformation and development of the province. “Through revolutionary genuine public service, we attain sustainable and inclusive development. In less than one year after my administration took office, we have made major accomplishments that concretized the slogan One DavNor, One Team,” Kuya Gov stated. The Most Sustainable and Liveable Community (MOSLIV) by Sustainability Standards, a prestigious group of international interests that honors the contributions and developments made by leading figures in the society, acknowledged the accomplishments and efforts of the Jubahib administration that promotes peace and order in the province, inclusive growth and development, and palpable change in the lives of its people.
