Quiboloy Bail Denied: Pasig Court Ruling
Pastor Quiboloy Denied Bail in Human Trafficking Case
Table of Contents
Pasig Court Rules Evidence of Guilt is Strong
A Pasig court has denied the petitions for bail filed by detained Pastor Apollo quiboloy and his co-accused in a significant human trafficking case involving sexual abuse and labor exploitation. The ruling, issued by the pasig Regional Court, Branch 72, presided over by Judge Sylvia Cemañes, found that the prosecution has presented strong evidence of guilt against all the accused for the two counts of qualified human trafficking committed by a syndicate.
Court’s Rationale for Bail Denial
In its resolution,the court stated,”At this juncture,the prosecution has sufficiently shown that the evidence of guilt against all the accused is strong on the two crimes of qualified human trafficking committed by a syndicate.” The court further elaborated, “Thus, given these pieces of evidence against all the accused at this point wich establish a great presumption of guilt for purposes of bail, the Court must deny their petitions for bail.”
However, the court emphasized that this decision on bail does not predetermine the ultimate outcome of the cases.”The Court is merely tasked with resolving the Petitions for Bail filed by all the accused, and not with rendering a judgment on the merits of the case. There remains a long process ahead, and both parties have the opportunity to present further evidence,” the resolution clarified.
Defense Vows to Seek Reconsideration
Atty. Israelito Torreon, legal counsel for pastor Quiboloy, expressed his intention to ask the court for a reconsideration of its decision at the earliest opportunity. “Why? Because we like to point out that the judge may have,you know,failed to or may have not considered the cross examination that we conducted as against alias Amanda,” Torreon stated when sought for comment.
Addressing concerns about online threats directed at Pasig court judges, Torreon firmly denied any involvement from their camp. “We have nothing to do with it and hopefully whoever is behind it, it is indeed really investigating and file a case as it is involved in our justice,” he said, emphasizing that such actions harm the justice system.
Complainant’s Camp Welcomes Ruling
The legal team representing the complainant expressed happiness and gratitude for the court’s decision. “We are so happy and grateful that the Petition for Bail of quiboloy et al has been denied, meaning that the Honorable Court found that the evidence of guilt is strong,” said private prosecutor Atty. Joahna Paula Domingo. She added,”We are hopeful that justice is within reach.”
Quiboloy Faces Serious Charges
Pastor apollo Quiboloy is currently facing a non-bailable charge of qualified human trafficking under Section 4(a) of Republic Act No.9208, as amended. Additionally, the Davao City-based religious leader is also facing charges under Section 5(b) and Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610, also known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, in a separate Quezon City court.
Keywords: Apollo Quiboloy, human trafficking, bail, Pasig court, qualified human trafficking, sexual abuse, labor exploitation, syndicate, evidence of guilt, legal counsel, reconsideration, online threats, complainant, justice, Republic Act No. 9208,Republic Act 7610,Special Protection of children Against Abuse,Exploitation,and Discrimination Act.