On IWD, Hontiveros demands justice for women victim-survivors of Quiboloy

Senator Risa Hontiveros, on International Women's Day (IWD), said that justice must be served for women victim-survivors of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy.

Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, has led three inquiries into the reported cases of large-scale human trafficking, sexual violence, and child abuse allegedly perpetrated by Quiboloy. The senator has also presented firsthand testimonies of women who were allegedly routinely assaulted by the religious leader for several years.

"Our women witnesses have had to overcome overwhelming feelings of shame and fear in order to speak their truth, to get justice, and to find peace. Ngayong ipinagdiriwang natin ang araw ng kababaihan, sana matiyak natin ang hustisya para sa bawat babaeng paulit-ulit na inabuso ng taong itinangala nila," Hontiveros said.

In the previous hearings, former members who identified as "pastorals," or women who occupy a prestigious position in the Kingdom because they are assigned to perform personal tasks for Quiboloy, revealed that they were allegedly coerced to sleep with the Pastor as a sign of their devotion to him.

"Hindi lang Pilipinang menor de edad ang diumanong ginahasa ni Quiboloy, pati mga dayuhang pinangakuan niya ng maganda at mapayapang buhay sa Davao. We've heard the stories of at least three Ukrainian women who left everything in Ukraine only to be exploited by the Pastor. They were effectively used as sex slaves," Hontiveros said.

"I also have to stress that these abuses are ongoing. Maraming mga pastoral pa ang nasa loob ng Kingdom na patuloy na inaabuso diumano ni Quiboloy," the senator added.

In 2021, a US Court indicted Quiboloy for heinous crimes committed in America, including the systematic rape of women, as well as minors as young as 11 years old.

Early this week, the Department of Justice directed the filing of trafficking and child abuse charges against the KOJC leader after a review of a complaint filed by a 17-year-old girl in 2019.

"This IWD, I call on all of us to listen to these women and girls. Let us not waste their courage. Hindi madali ang ginawa nilang pagbahagi ng mga mapapait na karanasan alang-alang sa hustisya. Let us show them that justice in this country can work for the most vulnerable," the senator said.

"To the victim-survivors, your strength and resolve remind us of the women before us who fought for our dignity, our freedom, and our rights. Your grace amid this chaos inspires us to stand with you, tall and undeterred. Umaasa ako na titindig hindi lang ang Senado, kundi ang buong bansa, kasama ninyo," Hontiveros concluded.