Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Facebook, Malacañang photo)

Manilla 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. finds Rodrigo Duterte's defense of his spiritual adviser, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy "ironic" given the latter's track record with human rights during his time as Philippine president. 

“It is ironic that today former president Rodrigo Duterte is speaking out in defense of the rights of his friend, when he attached very little value to human rights during his administration’s war on illegal drugs," Abante said in a statement Sunday, Aug. 25. 

Before this, Duterte criticized the raid at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City by law enforcement agencies enforcing a valid arrest warrant issued against KOJC leader, Quiboloy. 

“The rights of every Filipino should be respected, whether they be pastor or pauper," reckoned Abante, chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights. 

“Perhaps if the former president had emphasized the importance of human rights during his administration, then we would not have to investigate the thousands of extrajudicial killings that occurred during his presidency’s war on drugs,” he said. 

Abante is one of the co-chairmen of the quad-committee (quad-comm), which is currently investigating the Duterte's infamous drug war "that killed thousands of Filipinos, orphaned so many children, and traumatized families". 

Critics claim that over 30,000 people were slain in the course of the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign. 

“Unlike the victims of the war on drugs, Quiboloy was afforded due process. Not one, but two courts issued warrants of arrest. The police went in to his compound with the end in view of arresting and detaining him. Even now, if he surrenders to authorities, Quiboloy  will have his day in court. 

“Unfortunately and tragically, thousands of our kababayan who were slain during the war on drugs were not given the same opportunity," the Manila congressman noted. 

Law enforcement operatives swooped down on the KOJC compound Saturday, Aug. 24 to serve an arrest warrant against Quiboloy, but the pastor was not found. 

Last April, Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12-Family Court ordered the immediate implementation of an arrest warrant against Quiboloy and five others for child abuse and sexual abuse. 

That the same month, an RTC in Pasig City ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for the non-bailable offense of qualified human trafficking.