Local candidate calls on PH gov't to initiate own investigation on Pastor's case

DAVAO CITY - While the camp of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy is yet to issue a statement on the sex trafficking charges against him by the US Department of Justice, a local candidate here is calling on the Philippine government to "initiate its own investigation" on the matter.

"The Philippine government should initiate its own investigation to ascertain if our own laws on human trafficking and violence against women and children were broken," Maria Victoria Maglana, who is running for the city’s first district congressional seat, said in a statement on Friday, Nov. 19,

"Legislators may want to inquire on the status of implementation of RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act) and RA 7877 (Anti-Sexual Harassment Act), among others, to ensure that these laws are applied regardless of who is involved," Maglana said.

The church leader, who is the founding leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and a close friend of President Rodrigo Duterte, has not yet issued a statement on the matter.

Quiboloy was recently recognized as the 2021 Outstanding Humanitarian Pastor of the Year of the 20th Annual Gawad Amerika.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel on Friday, Nov. 19, Quiboloy thanked Gawad Amerika for recognizing their efforts. The event will be held on November 20 at the Celebrity Centre International Hollywood in California.

"Thank you for recognizing our humanitarian efforts to help our kababayan, wherever they are, especially here in the Philippines. We are just doing our duties, our responsibilities out of the love of our hearts," he said.