Sen. Hontiveros presses PNP to get Quiboloy’s guns: ‘Nakapagtataka ang bagal’

Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy (Photos by Richard Reyes and official page of Senator Bong Go)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) could now confiscate the firearms of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy based on the cases lodged against him, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday.

Quiboloy faces two arrest orders from the Davao and Pasig courts for sexual abuse and human trafficking charges.

A separate warrant of arrest was also issued by the Senate committee on women, headed by Hontiveros, after it investigated other human rights violations hurled at Quiboloy and his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC).

READ: Quiboloy: No US meddling—or catch me if you can

“Huwag nang magdahilan ang PNP. Kung talagang kasangga namin sila sa pagpapanagot sa mga pambabastos ni Quiboloy sa ating mga institusyon, dapat ginagawa nila ang lahat para mahuli siya,” she said in a statement.

(The PNP should stop making excuses. If they’re truly our allies in holding Quiboloy accountable for his insults to our institutions, they should do everything they can to capture him.)

“At isang mahalagang paraan ang pagbawi ng mga armas, lalo na ng isang pugante,” Hontiveros added.

READ: Hontiveros hails DOJ order to take legal action vs Quiboloy

(And one way to do it is the retrieval of weapons, especially of a fugitive.)

Legal disability

The senator  then pointed to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the PNP.

According to her, the IRR clearly states that the “legal disability” or the loss by the licensee of  the legal qualification or capacity to own and possess firearms includes the “pendency of a criminal case with imposable penalty of more than 2 years.”

READ: Quiboloy not ‘armed and dangerous’ even with 19 guns – PNP

“Sa dami at bigat ng pending cases ni Quiboloy, siguro naman pwede nang bawiin ang mga armas niya,” she said.

(With the  number and severity of Quiboloy’s pending cases, his firearms could already be confiscated)

“Sa kasong human trafficking pa lang, non-bailable at lifetime imprisonment na ang parusa, kaya ano pa hinihintay ng PNP? Nakapagtataka ang bagal,” she added.

READ: Quiboloy gets second arrest warrant for qualified human smuggling

(For human trafficking case alone, the penalty is non-bailable, and carrying a lifetime imprisonment. So what else is the PNP waiting for? The delay is perplexing.)

PNP previously confirmed that Quiboloy owns 19 assorted firearms.

Private army

His ownership of these weapons, however, had nothing to do with the cases filed against  the KJC leader, the PNP’s spokesperson, Col. Jean Fajardo, was quoted as saying. 

READ: ‘Ikaw naman ang wanted’: Duterte tells Quiboloy to leave him out

Hontiveros, meanwhile, found it incredulous that the PNP has no knowledge about Quiboloy’s alleged private army.

“Ang mga netizen alam na na may private army siya, tapos sarili nating kapulisan, hindi alam? Imposible,” she said.

(The netizens know that he has a private army, yet our own police force doesn’t know? That’s impossible.)

Hontiveros then repeated her appeal to the newly-installed PNP chief, Police Gen Rommel Marbil “to lead better.”

“Trabahuin na ng PNP ang pag-kansela ng mga armas niya. Bilis-bilisan na,” she stressed.