DAVAO CITY – Police urged victims of sexual abuse by Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to come forward as they vowed to advance their case and seek justice for them.
MARANTAN (DCPO FB)
Police Col. Hansel M. Marantan, DCPO director, in a press conference, told the victims that this is their chance to come out into the open and said they should not fear the religious leader as he is now under police custody.
Marantan added that the victims should have the courage to tell the truth in the abuses that they have endured as “pastorals” serving the influential religious leader.
“We will advance your case and seek justice for you. I’m sorry that it came in late but we are here already. We are here so come out to the open, don't be afraid otherwise, the truth that you want will be buried forever, it will never come out you will regret it for the rest of your life,” he said.
He assured that law enforcers would show the same decisiveness in helping them as they did in serving the arrest warrants against Quiboloy, KOJC founder, who who was arrested on Sunday, September 8, with four co-accused.
Marantan said that they expect more victims to come forward following Quiboloy’s arrest.
He said that five former pastorals had reached out to seek help from police after they were allegedly sexually assaulted by the religious leader.
Marantan claimed that the victims were used to be “pastorals of the innermost circle” before they left KOJC last year.
In a statement released by the KOJC, it said that one important cardinal rule that members uphold is “freedom of choice or your freedom to choose.”
“In exercising this rule, it means you cannot be forced or allow yourself to be forced to do anything against your own will, no matter what. So that means anything you do or anything that happens to you, may you be a missionary worker or Kingdom member is your own voluntary will or choice,” it said.
It said that all other rules and regulations in KOJC are subordinate to “freedom of choice,” claiming that this is the “highest form of human rights exercise.”
“And in the KOJC, we uphold this rule in everything we do as a corporate body or as an individual member. That's the reason why the Kingdom are the happiest in what they do and believe to die for as they were not forced to do anything against their will,” it said.