Metro Manila, Philippines – A ₱10-million bounty has led to the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s co-accused in the child abuse and qualified trafficking cases lodged against him.
But Thursday’s breakthrough still left authorities with no clear sign of Quiboloy’s whereabouts.
In a press briefing on Friday, July 12, at Camp Crame, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos presented Paulene Canada whom he said was allegedly involved in the finance operations of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Abalos earlier this week announced a ₱10-million bounty that will be paid for anyone who could provide details about the whereabouts of Quiboloy and his co-accused. One informant called the police, leading to Canada’s arrest on July 11.
Canada’s residence was two kilometers away from the Davao City police headquarters. But the country’s top cop said a person hiding would be hard to find.
“They know what to do, they know what to expect ‘pag nandiyan ‘yung mga pulis. But sinabi po ng ating minamahal na SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government) that there’s a reward, may tumutulong po sa’tin kaya mas marami tayong mahuhuli,” Philippine National Police chief PGen. Rommel Marbil said.
[Translation: They know what to do, they know what to expect in bust operations. But as our SILG said, there’s a reward, people have been helping so we can arrest more.]
The Davao City police have received several reports since the reward was announced. But those information have yet to be verified, the police said.
Abalos did not rule out the possibility that Quiboloy and the other co-accused may have left the Philippines, but there are chances that the latter could still be in hiding within the country’s borders.
“Ito ang sinasabi namin sa kanila: lumiliit na ho ang mga pinagtataguan ninyo. Lumiliit na ang mga lugar na ito dahil hindi ho titigil ang mga pulisya, ang military, ang buong pwersa ng gobyerno para kayo ay dakipin. Ang amin lang pong mensahe ay please, kung wala talaga kayong kasalanan, sumuko na kayo. Ganu’n lang ho kasimple,” Abalos appealed.
[Translation: We are telling them that their hiding place has narrowed. It is smaller because the police, the military, and the government’s forces will not stop coming after you. Our message is, please, if you have not done anything wrong, surrender. It’s that simple.]
“Hindi kami titigil [We will not stop], and we will use all sources of government to make sure that the ends of justice will be met,” he said.
The interior secretary has also urged Quiboloy’s followers who are protecting him to understand that the religious leader has an arrest warrant.
