Baste on Quiboloy’s whereabouts: I don’t know!

“Wala ko kahibaw. Siguro kung ako si pastor dili pud siguro ko diri og asa ko nila ginapangita. Ngano diri man ko mutago? (I don’t know. If I were the pastor, I won’t hide in the place where I am being hunted, why would I hide here?)” Duterte said in a pre-recorded episode of “Basta Dabawenyo” posted on his official YouTube channel on Sunday, August 11.

The mayor said the pastor can escape to another country considering that he has resources.

“Probably, with the resources [he had], daghan man na sya og simbahan all around, mo-chill lang sa sya laing lugar, laing nasud ana ba (he has many churches all around, he would just chill in other area, other country),” he said.

Authorities have been searching Quiboloy, who is considered a “fugitive of justice” after facing charges of rape, child abuse, and human trafficking.

Also facing charges are his co-accused Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes. Paulene was arrested in Davao City on July 9 after an anonymous caller tipped Davao police authorities.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) failed to arrest Quiboloy, and any of his co-accused after a conduct of comprehensive search on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) indoor arena in Davao City on Friday afternoon, August 9, 2024.

NBI-Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-Semro) director lawyer Arcelito Albao told reporters that they served the warrant in a “peaceful and orderly manner” inside the KOJC premises but less than 50 percent of the compound of the 50,000-square meter King Dome were only visited by their investigative team.

Meanwhile, the mayor had recently questioned why the government is assertive in arresting Quiboloy, whom he believed is facing trumped-up charges.

Duterte said Quiboloy’s cases, which involve human trafficking and sexual abuse, “do not directly affect the lives of Filipinos or Dabawenyos.”

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) offered a P10 million reward to anyone having information about Quiboloy’s whereabouts. The bounty came from private donors, according to the DILG.

KOJC, in response, offered P20 million to anyone who can provide relevant information that would pinpoint to these private donors. RGL