Hontiveros on Quiboloy’s senatorial bid: Let’s not elect lawbreakers
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy
MANILA, Philippines — Don’t elect lawbreakers, Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged voters on Wednesday.
She made the call in reaction to Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy’s senatorial bid in May 2025. He filed his certificate of candidacy on Tuesday through his lawyer Mark Tolentino.
READ: Apollo Quiboloy files COC for senator
“Apollo Quiboloy, magkaroon naman kayo ng kaunting hiya,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
(Apollo Quiboloy, you should have a little shame.)
“For someone facing multiple charges, including human trafficking and child abuse, and who even hid from the law, you really had the audacity to present yourself to the public as a candidate for legislation,” she added in Filipino.
The KJC leader has been charged with several criminal cases, including child abuse and human trafficking.
He went into hiding before his capture in September, following a 16-day search at the KJC’s compound in Davao City.
READ: Apollo Quiboloy in gov’t custody after long hunt
“Everyone has the right to run for public office, but I trust that we Filipinos have enough knowledge to exercise our right to choose our leaders and not vote for Quiboloy,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
“Let us not elect lawbreakers as lawmakers,” she added.
As head of the Senate committee on women, Hontiveros led the probe into the allegations hurled against Quiboloy. But the pastor’s refusal to the probe prompted the Senate to order his arrest last March.
Another arrest order was later issued by a Davao court for sexual abuse, while a Pasig court also ordered his arrest for qualified human trafficking.
READ: Quiboloy arrest ordered, this time for qualified human smuggling
Quiboloy is currently detained at the Philippine National Police custodial center at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
