Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Facebook, MANILA BULLETIN)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has essentially backed Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon's stance that former president Rodrigo Duterte could be slapped with an obstruction of justice charge for his remarks before the forced surrender of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. 

This was the takeaway on Monday, Sept. 16 from Bongalon's sponsorship of the DOJ's budget in House plenary, wherein he essentially spoke on behalf of the agency as he answered his colleagues' questions. 

The plenary debates on the P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) began on Monday morning. While the attending representatives of the agencies like the DOJ can't directly respond to the solon-interpellators, they can course their answers to the budget sponsor. 

Interpellating Bongalon was ACT-Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, who inquired as to whether or not an obstruction of justice case would be pursued against Duterte. 

She raised Duterte's answer when asked about Quiboloy’s whereabouts. "Ang sinabi niya, alam niya, pero 'secret' (He said he knew where Quiboloy’s location was, but it was a 'secret'). Would you consider that as obstruction of justice?" 

Bongalon replied: "Ang isang krimen po may mga elemento ano, so kung lahat pong elemento na yun, regardless kung sino po yung possible offender (There are elements to a crime, so if all the elements are met, regardless of who is the possible offender), well that would be a case for obstruction of justice." 

Bongalon, an assistant majority leader and vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, had previously opined that Duterte could be in trouble for allegedly harboring then-fugitive Quiboloy. 

"Sinasabi ko, mayroon pong possibility na pwede siyang, may pwedeng harapin na kaso na obstruction of justice, dahil sa kanya pong pahayag. Publicly, sinasabi niya, alam njya kung nasaan po si Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, pero ayaw niya po itong sabihin dahil ito ay isang sikreto," he said. 

(What I'm saying is, there's a possibility of a case of obstruction of justice because of his statement. Publicly, he's saying that he knows Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's whereabouts, but he doesn't want to divulge because it's a secret.) 

"Yun pong kanyang pahayag, lalung lalo na siya po ay isang property administrator, ng KOJC compound (His statement, especially as a property administrator of Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound), so in effect that would warrant a possible case of obstruction of justice," he pointed out. 

It was late August when Philippine National Police (PNP) operatives swooped down at the KOJC compound in Davao City for the purpose of arresting the controversial evangelist. 

It would take around two weeks before Quiboloy--Duterte's spiritual adviser--would get captured. 

The congresswoman from the Makabayan bloc said she would wait for the DOJ's action on the matter. 

"OK, aasahan ko ang DOJ ha na pag-aralan ang possible na pagsasampa ng case against former president Duterte for obstruction of justice," Castro said. 

Quiboloy--the self-proclaimed "Appointed Son of God"--is facing charges of child abuse, sexual abuse, and qualified human trafficking. He is also wanted in the United States.