Vice President Sara Duterte should have paid more attention to the state of the country’s education sector instead of harping about the Senate’s investigation into the alleged abuses Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder and leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy committed against students and minors. 

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros made the remark a day after the vice president stood pat on defending Quiboloy, who now stands accused of child abuse, rape and human trafficking. 

“Yung mga batang pinilit magmalimos, pinigilan nang mag-aral dahil yan ang halos full time na ginagawa nila. Yung mga batang pinangakuan ng scholarship sa Jose Maria College, para maging full time member at workers sa Kingdom  (The children they forced to beg, they stopped them from going to school because they want them to go full-time begging. The children they promised to give scholarship at Jose Maria College so they can be full-time members and workers at the Kingdom),” Hontiveros told reporters during a press conference at the Senate. 

“Either hindi talaga binigyan ng scholarship or binigyan ng scholarship, tapos nung gusto nang humiwalay sa kingdom, ayaw ibigay ang transcript of records. Hindi na makapag-aral ulit, di na makapag-apply sa disenteng trabaho (Either they did not give them scholarship, or they did give a scholarsphip but when they wanted to leave the kingdom, they refuse to hand over their transcript of records. As a result, they could no longer pursue their studies, they chould not apply for a decent job),” the senator pointed out.

“So sana dun na lang at sa kabuuang mga problema at pangangailangan ng ating education system na hanggang sa ngayon ay nasa krisis…dun na lang ibaling ni VP ang kanyang enerhiya sa halip na depensahan ang isang Quibolo na nang-aabuso pa nga sa mga bata’t estudyante na ito (So I hope the vice president would shift her focus to the overall problems and needs of our education system that until now is in a crisis, instead of focusing her energy into defending a Quiboloy who is accused of abusing these children and students),” she reiterated. 

The senator also said that instead of branding the Senate’s investigation as political and a trial by publicity, the second highest ranking official of the land should have also monitored the hearings and know that no fewer than three items show areas for corrective legislation. 

For one, Hontiveros said, labor violations involving secretive religious organizations is one policy that the Upper Chamber is keen on addressing. 

“(Yung) batas ng ating labor code, lalo na sa mga voluntary work, di umano, na walang employer-employee relationship at yung mga legal protections sa ganyang employment status; at yung mga batas natin tungkol sa human trafficking (For one is our labor code, especially since this involves voluntary work, allegedly there is no employer-employee relationship, and legal protections for that kind of employment status; and also our laws on human trafficking),” she explained further. 

“So, dapat inalam muna yan ni VP bago siya nag-comment ng ganyan (So the VP should have kept herself informed before she made such kind of comments). These are grievous offenses against women and minors committed by Quiboloy),” Hontiveros stressed.

In a video message posted on Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), the KOJC’s media arm, the vice president slammed the congressional inquiries conducted by the Senate and the House of Representatives against Quiboloy saying she believes the religious leader is facing violence and unfairness and has been given a guilty verdict based on claims of unknown witnesses.

Duterte also slammed the suspension of SMNI’s operations saying it is a clear “issue of media freedom.”