Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon (left), Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The Department of Justice's (DOJ) request for a change of venue in Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's cases from Davao City to Pasig City makes a lot of sense, if only to ensure the public of "fair play and impartiality". 

Thus, said House Assistant Majority Leaders Ako Bicol Party Rep. Jil Bongalon and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who both commented on the matter during a press conference Monday, May 6. 

"For us to expect neutrality in the environment, for us to expect fair play and impartiality during the entire course of the legal proceedings, kailangan po mag-change venue (there's a need to change the venue)," said Bongalon, a lawyer. 

"Can you imagine, ito po yung mga biktima ng mga harassments, human trafficking, papupuntahin mo pa duon sa Davao City, sa lugar kung saan iyon nangyari. So how can we expect justice?" he asked rhetorically. 

(These are the victims of harassments, human trafficking, and you expect them to go to Davao City, where those incidents took place.) 

Adiong compared the situation to a basketball game where one team has "home court advantage" over the other. In this case, Davao is Quiboloy's home court. 

"Now, a lot of us know how popular, how influential Pastor Quiboloy is in Davao. That is actually his main bailiwick," he said. 

Adiong said that transferring the case venue from Davao to Pasig will allow the court "to decide fairly without any intervention whatsoever from other sectors". 

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"I think it’s better for the case to be expeditiously [decided] on free from intervention, interference and to insulate the case from further creating an atmosphere of uncertainty within Davao City, because nandoon po talaga ang heighten ang tension ng mga tao. Kasi doon po ang bailiwick talaga of Quiboloy," the Mindanaoan further said. 

(Because there's really a heightened tension there among the people. Because that's really Quiboloy's bailiwick.) 

At any rate, Bongalon said that DOJ's request is "part of the rules of procedure in a legal 

proceedings...so that we can expect neutrality, fair play [and] impartiality in the entirety of the hearings". 

It was early last month when a warrant of arrest against the controversial Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church leader was issued by a Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC). Quiboloy's current whereabouts are unknown.