Comelec en banc affirms Apollo Quiboloy’s Senate bid

Apollo Quiboloy

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied the motion for reconsideration seeking to block the senatorial bid of detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder and alleged child abuser Apollo Quiboloy.

In a seven-page ruling made public on Friday, the Comelec en banc dismissed the motion for reconsideration filed by labor leader Sonny Matula, citing lack of merit.

The Comelec said no valid ground was raised in the motion that would compel the body to rule against the First Division.

READ:

New testimony: Quiboloy sexual victims as young as 12 years old

“We find no cogent reason to depart from the Assailed Resolution of the Commission (First Division). The arguments raised by Petitioner in his Motion were already thoroughly passed upon and incisively examined by the Commission,” the ruling added.

The en banc noted that the procedural and substantive issues raised by Matula against the candidacy of Apollo Quiboloy had already been addressed by the First Division when it decided to allow the televangelist to run in the Senate.

“At the outset, the combination of different remedies and prayers in a petition to declare as nuisance candidate or disqualification or cancellation of a certificate ground is a ground for summary dismissal, and this is clearly and explicitly mandated by our rules,” the decision said.

The poll body also emphasized that even if procedural flaws in the petition were overlooked, the substantive issues were exhaustively discussed and resolved by the First Division.

Apollo Quiboloy is the controversial head of the Kingdom of  Jesus Christ whose vast empire i n Mindanao has spurned many dark secrets in the months leading to his arrest. (Philippine News Agency)