Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy appeared in the other day’s Senate Committee hearing regarding allegations of sexual molestation made by him against several then teenage female members of his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Church. The Pastor is presently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
As expected the Pastor readily denied the allegations. But when asked with certain questions specific to the cases against him now deliberated by the courts he was quick to invoke his right not to put himself in self-incrimination. What else can the people expect?
And why did the Pastor who is now a candidate for Senator of the republic go to the Senate Committee hearing without mask? Well, attending the hearing with the whole of himself seen on nationwide television was his “Father’s” given opportunity to campaign in advance without any expense from his part – courtesy of the Senate body headed by Sen. Riza Hontiveros.
Indeed the Pastor can turn his predicament into an effective vehicle for running his campaign even if he is in detention.
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It is still seven months before the May 2025 midterm elections and a good four years away from the 2028 presidential polls.
Yet, but this early the political air in the country is already very toxic. Even the local electoral contest is way behind the toxicity that is now prevailing leading to the 2028 national elections. And somehow, the PDP group where former President (FPRRD) was allied with during his 2026 run, appears to be the evolving opposition party as claimed by some prominent members of Duterte’s group, effectively sidelining the Liberal Party.
Yes, for what are the gun volleys from the political groups allied with incumbent President Marcos fired to the direction of the former chief executive’s party if the former do not see the latter as the more potent enemy?
And certainly it could not be a coincidence that the leading issue now dominating the national political scene – the bloody war against illegal drugs of the Duterte administration – seemed to have cascaded down to the local political arena, especially in Davao City.
This is clearly manifested in the simmering political battle between perceived national administration candidate lady lawyer and PBA Partylist Representative Migz Nograles, the challenger, and incumbent Paolo Duterte of the first district.
The latter, wangling his having been cleared of any drug residue in his body in a test done several months ago, challenged Nograles to also undergo the same drug test. The latter did not hesitate to accept and the two had their drug test in the same facility in Davao City – at the High Precision Diagnostic last Wednesday separated only in a matter of hours. It was apparent that both used the follicle test method.
Both confident that they will pass the drug test with flying colors, they expect the result after two weeks.
Well then, the electorate in the first district of Davao City will have something to eagerly await. Will FPRRD and Karlo, and possibly Pastor Rodolfo Cubos follow the lead of the first district congressional candidates without exchanging challenges to undergo the test?
Meanwhile, at the national scene, challenges and counter-challenges were hurled against each other by Vice President Sara Duterte, a potential Presidential candidate in 2028, and the so-called “young guns” among those actively participating in the quadcom congressional probe on the Vice President’s use of her Intelligence and Confidential Funds. The dare from some young congressmen and even from some members of the Senate, came after Sara, in a 2-hours press briefing late last week, seemed to insinuate by her hand language that she would “behead” the President if he (PBBM) and his henchmen will not stop their actions against her.
In the same venue she also claimed to have warned Presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos that if the President will not mend his ways of running the government, she will have the body of their father the late President Marcos, Sr. exhumed from his grave at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and have the remains thrown into the West Philippine Sea.
VP Sara’s tirades did not bode well with most congressmen and senators. Some of the former openly expressed their opinion that the VP may have to undergo mental or psychological and emotional intervention as what she have said were way beyond the mind of a sane person.
It did not take long for the VP to accept the challenge on condition that the young guns, especially those who questioned her psychological and emotional state, and all others running for congressmen for the first time to also undergo the same. Then came the immediate acceptance by the congressmen also with the condition that the VP attends the hearings and takes her oath that she will answer all the questions raised by the members of the quadcom with the “truth and nothing but the truth.”
Now the question: Will the Vice President accept the congressmen’s condition? This is getting to be interesting. Yes, this early the protagonist political groups are already spitting flames. We can only imagine that by the time the 2028 Presidential and Vice Presidential contest comes they might already be spewing venom in every available arena for the political battle.
We fervently hope that the toxicity will not rub in on their rabid supporters, or else…
