A P10 million bounty is being offered for any information that would lead to the arrest of wanted evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said.
The Philippine National Police is also studying the possibility of filing obstruction of justice charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte after he disclosed last week that he knew the whereabouts of Quiboloy but won’t disclose the information.
“We are looking through our legal service to get witnesses to file cases. You cannot say something that will disrupt police’s efforts,” PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said in an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
Abalos said a P1 million reward each is also being offered for information leading to the arrest of Quiboloy’s subordinates: Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Camanes, and Jackiely Roy.
“We have friends who want to help in our efforts to locate them and they offered P10 million for any information leading to the arrest of Pastor Quiboloy and P1 million each for the others,” Abalos said in a press conference.
Marbil, for his part, said that under Presidential Decree 1829, “any person who knowingly or willingly obstructs, impedes, frustrates or delays the apprehension and prosecution of suspected criminal offenders” can be penalized.
“Remember we are spending millions of manpower and pesos to locate these people. It’s the obligation of citizens to help the government,” the PNP chief added.
Duterte told reporters in Tacloban City on July 1 that he knows where Quiboloy is but he would keep the information “secret.”
Duterte, a lawyer, is a close ally of Quiboloy. He also began managing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ properties in March after the preacher was cited in contempt for failing to show up to a Senate committee probe.
Quiboloy has standing warrants of arrest from Davao City and Pasig City courts for child sexual abuse and human trafficking cases.
The Davao RTC also ordered the arrest of the subordinates of the self-proclaimed “appointed son of God.”
Quiboloy has also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children, among others.
