News Roundup 05 February 2022
Feb 05, 2022 • 4 min Read
Quiboloy, 2 others wanted in US over trafficking charges | PHILSTAR.COM – Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name founder and President Rodrigo Duterte’s spiritual adviser, Apollo Quiboloy, is now wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation along with two others over trafficking charges. The FBI released wanted posters for Quiboloy and KOJC officials Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag following their indictment in November 2021. Quiboloy was indicted for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling. The FBI said Quiboloy is wanted “for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.” Dandan and Panilag are also wanted based on the same accusations. It is also alleged that women were recruited to work as Quiboloy’s personal assistants or “pastorals” who supposedly prepared his meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages and were required to have sex with him in what they called “night duty.”
Carpio believes China will interfere in upcoming elections | INQUIRER.NET – Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Saturday said he believes China may interfere in the upcoming national elections to protect its interests. “China will interfere because I think they interfered in the last presidential elections,” Carpio said in an online forum. To recall, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario claimed that ranking Chinese officials have been bragging that they were able to shape the outcome of the country’s polls in 2016 which led to the election of President Rodrigo Duterte. Carpio said he believes China will again favor a candidate who will continue Duterte’s friendship with Beijing. “So we will have to expect that nations that have an interest in our maritime zones or claiming to our territories and maritime zones will look for a candidate who will be friendly to them, just like Duterte,” Carpio pointed out. “They want Duterte’s policy to be continued,” he added. Carpio also cited Duterte’s previous statements that he was “inutile” in wresting control of islets in the West Philippine Sea from China, which, Carpio said, reflects Duterte’s policy when it comes to the disputed territories.
Gordon: 3 senators hesitant to sign draft report on Pharmally probe | INQUIRER.NET – Three senators are hesitant to sign a Senate panel’s draft partial report on its probe on the government’s transactions with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. because they want President Rodrigo Duterte excluded from those who should be held accountable, Senator Richard Gordon said Saturday. According to Gordon, 11 senators have already committed to support the report of the Senate blue ribbon committee being chaired by Gordon. “Maraming senador na ang nagcommit. Labing isa sila. ‘Yung tatlo minumuni-muni pa kung pipirmahan nila na maglalagay sila ng amendment dahil ayaw nilang masangkot ang Pangulo. Nag-aalangan sila kung mayroon daw tayong sapat na katibayan laban sa Pangulo,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo. (Eleven senators have already committed to support it. Three others are still thinking if they will sign it with an amendment because they don’t want the President to be involved. They are having second thoughts on whether we have sufficient proof against the President.) Gordon refused to name the three senators, but he said they have promised to study the report first.
Guevarra on US-FBI’s ‘wanted’ posters on Quiboloy: ’I’m sure FBI knows where he is’ | Manila Bulletin – “I’m sure the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States) knows where Pastor Quiboloy is. I’m also sure that the FBI knows the proper legal procedure to enable the US justice system acquire jurisdiction over Pastor Quiboloy’s person.” This was the reaction of Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on the release by the FBI of “wanted” posters of Quiboloy (Apollo C. Quiboloy who is the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) religious group) and two other church members. In its website, the FBI said Quiboloy is wanted for “Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, and Sex Trafficking of Children; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion; Conspiracy; Bulk Cash Smuggling.”
