House Committee on Public Order and Safety, and Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, advised lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, legal counsel for pastor Apollo Quiboloy, to be more self-aware and cautious of its statements moving forward.
“Saan ka nakakita ng kaso na kung saan nahuli na ‘yung suspect, entitled pa ‘yung abogado niya na tawaging epal ‘yung may kustodiya ng kliyente niya?” Fernandez asked, referring to Topacio.
“Pastor Quiboloy fell in the hands of authorities. He is facing charges of sexual abuse and human trafficking. He hid like a scared rat inside his compound. Those facts are beyond question,” Fernandez said in a press release from the office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez Sept. 9.
Topacio claimed Sept. 8, in a statement, that the Philippine National Police, under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, had no hand in capturing his client.
“He was not arrested, especially not by the (PNP) under the DILG. Therefore, it is epal to the highest level for (DILG Secretary Benhur) Abalos to be seemingly taking credit for the non-existent arrest,” Topacio said.
But Fernandez claimed that the situation at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City could have deteriorated and led to more violence if not for the calculated efforts of the DILG and PNP.
“Secretary Benhur Abalos and the police force deserve all the praise for Quiboloy’s capture. This was the best-case scenario dahil hindi na naging mas magulo pa,” Fernandez said.
“It would be in Quiboloy’s best interest if his brilliant lawyer is now thinking of his defense rather than another petty potshot at the authorities who have control,” he added. ||
