THE Supreme Court has granted the request of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to transfer the sexual and child abuse cases of televangelist Apollo Quiboloy from Davao City to Quezon City.
The SC said in a statement that it found compelling reasons to justify the transfer of venue as the cases involve public interest.
It noted that Quiboloy is influential in Davao City, which is where his religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ is based.
“As this could cause local biases and a strong possibility that witnesses cannot freely testify due to fear and influence of the accused, the Court found it prudent and judicious to order the transfer of the cases to Quezon City,” the SC said.
The SC directed the Branch Clerk of Court of Branch 12 of the Davao City RTC to forward the entire records of Quiboloy’s criminal cases to the Office of the Executive Judge of the RTC, Quezon City within three days from notice.
It also directed the Quezon City RTC Executive Judge to raffle the cases, upon receipt of the case records.
The Quezon City judges should decide the cases with utmost dispatch, it added.
The SC also directed judges in Davao City and in other stations in Mindanao where future related cases involving Quiboloy and his co-accused may be filed to motu proprio order the transmittal of the records to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the RTC, Quezon City and Metropolitan Trial Court, Quezon City.
In seeking the transfer of venue, Remulla had said that the cases against Quiboloy touch on “broader national policies, public interest, and security concerns.”
Remulla also said there is a need to preserve the integrity of the proceedings as local biases might affect the trial’s impartiality if it is held in Davao City.
