SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri has signed the arrest warrant against Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder and leader Pastor Apollo Carreon Quiboloy who will now be arrested in relation to the various accusations being hurled against him.

This after Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros who also chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality confirmed that the office of SP Zubiri officially signed and transmitted to them a copy of the document exactly 2 p.m.yesterday.

“The arrest order vs. Pastor Quiboloy is out! Napapanahon na po ang pagpirmang ito ni Senador Zubiri lalo sa mga kababaihan ng niyurakan ng dangal ni Quiboloy pati na ng kanilang karapatan.

Sa wakas ay napirmahan na ito sa kabilang ng dambuhalang pagsubok na ating pinagdaanan,” Hontiveros said.

According to Hontiveros the possibility of holding another hearing to invite officials of Anti-Money Laundering Council is there even when the Senate and the House is in break session.

“Kahit naman po naka break ang kamara ay patuloy pa rin kaming mga senador sa aming mga hearing at ito po ay nakaugalian ng praktis simula pa nuon,” Hontiveros added.

It was also confirmed that the camp of Quiboloy formally received yesterday the ruling of the committee on the show cause order which Hontiveros confirmed that her committee found unsatisfactory the explanation of the KoJC’s camp to justify the Pastor Quiboloy repeated snubbed of the Senate’s probe on his alleged abuses against former members of his religious group.

“Wala naman pong bago sa kanilang mga sinagot. Lahat po ay inulit lang nila. They did nothing but rehash previous arguments,” said Hontiveros adding the explanation is nowhere near satisfactory.

Quiboloy’s camp, through his counsel Atty. Melanio Elvis Balayan, argued that the Senate is not a court as they asked the committee to set aside the contempt citation on his client, recall the issued subpoena and stop the arrest warrant order against Quiboloy.

The show cause order was also being asked by Quiboloy’s camp to be forwarded to the plenary for discussion and the voting of other senators who are not even members of the committee.

“Wala po ang ganitong bagay sa ruling ng Senado. Maging ang show cause order ay isinagawa natin bilang respeto kay Senator Robinhood Padilla at Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Napagbigyan na po natin lahat ng kanilang kahilingan,” Hontiveros said.

Atty. Balayan further said that requiring Quiboloy to physically attend the committee hearings is “tantamount to usurpation of judicial functions beyond the powers of the Senate.”

The legal argument of Quiboloy camp said the alleged crimes against the so-called witnesses is “incriminatory as it categorically declared the guilt” of Pastor Quiboloy which they said is in total disregard of the judicial process as they insists that a person innocent is innocent until the court pronounced him guilty.

They also maintained that the non-appearance in the committee hearing is not a sign of disrespect as they firmly believe that only the competent court can make the right pronouncement on whether or not he is guilty of the allegations.

The committee chair rebuked the legal argument of Quiboloy by citing the fact that he was given all due respect and the invitations was issued twice before they formally issued a subpoena which the KoJC continuously defied.

“Kaya ayaw ko. Kaya ayaw ng komite, pagbigyan yung mga bastos at contemptuous na mga actuations niya, precisely dahil ang Senado ay nagsasabi at ang Korte Suprema na rin ay nagsabi na well within its rights ang Senado magkondukta ng walang hadlang ng imbestigasyon ayon sa sarili naming rules. Sa ngayon, at mananatiling ganito, consistent ang Senado,na pinaninindigan namin itong mga usapin na ito,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros denied that the hearing being conducted was merely for political reason as she stressed that the investigation being conducted in aid of legislation and intends to fill gaps in existing laws.

“Our existing law does not define the question of consent in rape and sexual under secretive charismatic religious organizations. Aside from the fact that religious volunteers are being abused which is against the labor law and occupational safety laws dahil maraming sa mga taong ito ay pinag papalimos. Bukod pa ang human trafficking under the guise of religious activities.” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros maintained that her committee is not a court and she is not a judge.

She admitted that a Senate resolution has no effect and force of law nor can the committee determine the guilt of the accuse.

But at the same time Hontiveros cited the case of Romero versus Senator Jinggoy Estrada and the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment where the Supreme Court said the Senate has the right to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation.

“And very clear held that the ‘Court has no authority to prohibit a Senate committee from requiring persons to appear and testify before it in connection with an inquiry in aid of legislation by its duly published rules of procedure,” she added.

Hontiveros maintained that her ruling is in motion already” because the committee gave in to all kinds of request including the 7 days chance to reverse the citation order on Quiboloy which Sen. Robinhood Padilla failed to get the required 8 signatures from other committee members and the show cause order that was given 48 hours for the camp to give a satisfactory answer.”

Hontiveros said Quiboloy must really be held answerable for his continued mockery and taunting of the committee by coming up with 17 demands for him to attend the probe.

” Muntik na po tayong maniwala kay Atty. Ferdinand Topacio na kanyang abogado nuong sabihin nito na fake news and 17 sets of conditions ni Quiboloy ngunit napanuod po natin mismo sa Gikan para sa Masa event ng vloggers na inamin ito mismo ni Quiboloy sa nasabing programa na ito talaga ang kaniyang kondisyones ,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said she already asked the Department of Interior and Local Government for possible help should the camp of Quiboloy resist the arrest.

“Buo ang paniniwala ko sa kahandaan at kakayahan ng OSAA bilang front line ng security ng Senado na gawin muli ang kanilang tungkulin, tulad ng pag-serve nila ng subpoena kay Quiboloy doon mismo sa address niya sa Davao. Tulad ng isinagot ng DILG sa isang hearing, kung hingin namin sa pamamagitan ng OSAA, ang tulong ng PNP, ay pwedeng-pwede po naming hingin yun. At tulad sa mga maraming pagkakataon noon na hiningi, pati ng aming komite, ang tulong ng PNP o ng NBI sa ganitong klaseng mga imbestigasyon, ay naging laan naman po sila na ipagkaloob iyan, kaya umaasa pa rin ako sa dati na nilang pagtulong.” said Hontiveros.