Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said on Friday, March 8 that he is not inclined to believe the accusations being hurled against his friend, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
Dela Rosa expressed his belief after four senators pushed for a reversal of the contempt order released by the Senate against the alleged religious cult leader.
“Sa pagtingin ko lang sa kanya, ha. Hindi ko naman siya nababantayan 24 hours. Hindi naman ako nakatingin sa kanyan 24 hours pero if you ask my opinion about him, he is highly respected. Ako mismo, humahanga sa kanya (In my personal assessment of him. I’m not saying I see him 24 hours a day. I don’t see him 24 hours but if you ask my opinion about him, he is highly respected. I myself, I admire him),” Dela Rosa said.
“He is the Son of God. So less expected ko sa kanya na gumawa ng gano’ng offense (I don’t expect him to make such offenses). If you have to ask my opinion. Opinyon ko lang ‘yan. Hindi ko naman siya nakikita 24 hours a day (That’s my opinion only. I don’t see him 24 hours a day),” he further explained.
Quiboloy is now facing charges of rape, human trafficking, child abuse, and labor violations among others and is being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.
Dela Rosa also said his impression of Quiboloy since he got to know him, is somebody who is respected.
“Tayo, tao lang tayo, ‘di ba (We’re just humans right)? Nobody’s perfect, ‘no? Tao tayo, pwede tayong magkamali. Andiyan, andiyan ‘yan lahat ng posibilidad habang tayo’y tao (We are humans we can commit mistakes. There is always that possibility because we are humans),” he said.
“Pero kung sabihin ninyo na ‘yung impression ko sa kanya, ang impression ko sa kanya ay respetado siyang tao at hindi niya kayang gawin ‘yung mga gano’n na kababuyan na ina-allege sa kanya (But if you ask me what is my impression of him, my impression of him is that he is a respected person and he cannot do that kind of atrocities he is accused of doing),” the senator stressed.
Dela Rosa, likewise, questioned the Senate panel’s investigation into the issue, saying he cannot see it being in aid of legislation.
“Kung meron bang pagkakamali o pagkukulang na nangyari doon sa DOJ na pwede nating masolusyunan through legislation? Anong pwede nating gawin diyan? Sige nga (Is there any mistake or deficiency in the DOJ’s investigation that we can solve through legislation? What can we do about it)?” he said.