Ecumenical youth group frown poll body for allowing Quiboloy’s run

BAGUIO CITY (December 28, 2024) -- Ecumenical youth group Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) denounced the Commission on Elections’ ruling allowing Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s Senate run.

Quiboloy, currently detained due to charges on child abuse and human trafficking, filed his candidacy to run for Senator in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

The COMELEC en banc junked the motion for reconsideration which sought to block Quiboloy’s bid for a Senate seat.

“Ano ba itong masamang sumapi sa COMELEC at tila nawalan ng konsiyensiya at hinahayaang tumakbo ang isang bulaang propeta?” SCMP chairperson Kej Andres raised, further blurting out, “already having a corrupt government, we don’t need more corrupt people vying for positions especially that Quiboloy is all-in-one red-tagger, fake news peddler, human trafficker, land grabber, and Marcos-Duterte stooge—basically a fake and twisted pastor.”

The FBI earlier released a wanted poster against Quiboloy on February 5, 2022 under cases of corruption and child sex-trafficking. 

In 2022, Andres and SCMP were publicly red-tagged by Quiboloy and SMNI, his own channel, for opposing mandatory ROTC. SMNI also red-tagged other youth and opposition leaders such as Kabataan Partylist lawmaker Raoul Manuel.

In 2008, Quiboloy and their sect were accused of killing Davao Lumad leader Datu Dominador Diarog because they were not willing to sell hectares of land. 

Again in 2014, Quiboloy was again involved in an alleged land-grabbing controversy. 

“It is obvious that this pastor only wants power, especially that he is still facing serious un-Filipino and un-Christian charges. May we remind that Quiboloy, in the words of Matthew 16:26, has lost his soul for trying to gain the whole world. Antithetical to values of humility and servant leadership, he is a horrible example for Christians everywhere,” Andres believed.

“We encourage more of his followers to examine their conscience and speak more about the ugly truth about this pastor. While not necessarily moral arbiters, we encourage the COMELEC to revisit their decision. We cannot simply allow more dubious elements to ruin the sanctity of elections,” Andres urged.