Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, March 11 said former president Rodrigo Duterte’s recent appointment as the new administrator of the properties of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) shows a deep and “intertwined” connection between the former country leader and the alleged sex offender Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

With this latest development, Hontiveros urged the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to make sure Quiboloy would not be able to leave the Philippines amid the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Senate’s investigation into the alleged rape, sexual abuses, labor violations, and human trafficking violations facing the religious leader.

“Dahil ginawa niya iyon, pinasakamay niya kay Duterte yung kanyang pagmamay-ari, lalong kumakalat yung haka-haka na naghahanda siya, si Quiboloy, na tumakas dito sa Pilipinas (Because they did that, they turned over the ownership of the KOJC properties to Duterte, it strengthens the belief and speculations that he, Quiboloy, is preparing to leave the Philippines),” Hontiveros said during a press conference at the Senate.

“Kaya inuulit ko po ang aking panawagan sa Bureau of Immigration (BI) na siguruhin na sa lahat ng borders ng ating bansa, sa lahat ng mga ports of exit ay hindi makatakas si Quiboloy (That’s why I reiterate my call to the BI to guard all borders of the country, all exit ports to make sure Quiboloy won’t be able to escape),” she said.

Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, which is currently investigating the KOJC and Quiboloy, said this development also shows how the economic interests of the Dutertes and Quiboloy are “intertwined.”

“Lalong lumilinaw kung ganong ka-intertwine ang mga interes, maging ang mga economic interest ni Duterte at ni Pastor Quiboloy (It clearly shows how their interests, the economic interests of Duterte and Pastor Quiboloy are closely intertwined),” she said.

“Dahil usually po ang nag-aatas ng isang administrator sa kanyang properties ay isang tao na hindi kayang siya ang mangasiwa sa mga properties niya (Because usually, those who requests an administrator for their properties are people who are unable to manage their properties),”

“So ganon kataas, kalaki ang pagtitiwala at pagsasakamay ni Quiboloy kay Duterte sa kanyang mga ari-arian (So that means that is how high Quiboloy’s trust is for Duterte to decide to entrust his properties to him),” she pointed out.

“May kasabihan pa nga diba (There’s a saying that): tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are,” she further said.