Quiboloy eyed as guest candidate by several parties, says lawyer

Apollo Quiboloy

MANILA, Philippines — Several political parties are seeking to include detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy as a guest candidate in their senatorial slate, his lawyer Mark Tolentino said on Monday.

After formally revoking his nomination under the Tolentino wing of the Workers and Peasants Party (WPP), Quiboloy seeks to run as an independent candidate. 

“There are many political parties inviting Pastor to become a guest candidate,” Tolentino said in an ambush interview at Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Palacio del  Gobernador.

Tolentino, however, declined to identify the interested political parties.

Nevertheless, Tolentino noted that “with or without a party, Pastor Quiboloy can run a campaign.” 

The Comelec earlier declared that there are two wings of the WPP, the other one under senatorial aspirant Sonny Matula, who disavowed the religious leader’s nomination.

Matula even filed a petition to disqualify Quiboloy and declare him a nuisance candidate, but Comelec included the religious leader among the 66 senatorial aspirants which will appear in the midterm elections official ballot.

Quiboloy is detained in the Philippine National Police custodial center since September over accusations of human trafficking and child abuse, which his camp vehemently denied.