Manila – Here was Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the appointed Son of God who had just been splashed in the news due to a brush with the law in the United States when authorities there grounded his private plane for having a huge stash of cash and firearms parts – in the flesh, his charismatic voice telling his Kingdom of Jesus Christ followers at the Ynares Gym in Pasig City Sunday, February 18, 2018, that what happened in Hawaii was a blessing in disguise.
Smartly garbed in grey with a vest and wearing sleek black shoes, Quiboloy told the throng that ‘we should spread the love of God.”
It was a standing-room-only worship event, everybody raising hands, sometimes clapping, crying, turning ecstatic or locked in trance.
A marshal clad in Barong Tagalog tried to prevent this photographer from taking more photos. “Media kayo? Bawal dito ang media (You’re from media. Well the media here is not allowed).”
When told that InterAksyon was to interview Atty. Israelito Torreon, spokesman of Pastor Quiboloy, Mr. Barong Tagalog would not let up, but after the service, he was quick to apologize: “Pasensya na po sir, pinoproteksyunan lang namin ang anak ng Diyos, dahil sa nangyari sa Hawaii (Apologies. We were just protecting the Son of God, because of what happened in Hawaii).”
Hawaiian media reported Thursday last week that some US$300,000 in cash and assorted gun parts that could be assembled into working firearms were found in his private Cessna Citation Sovereign plane before it was to take off for Manila.
Atty. Israelito Torreon said that “instead of the Hawaii incident being considered tragic, it had become a blessing in disguise. Now people would know the message of pastor and the message of pastor is about love, the message of reconciliation and unity founded upon love. It was very clear that he was not detained or charged of any crime. Nor was he deported. As a matter of fact, there were already documents that came out from the United States of America, and nothing there has indicated that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy was being charged of any crime, nothing about being deported, therefore and there is also nothing there that gun parts in fact exist. So, you see, these are all products of misinformation, the news flew so fast and we don’t have the chance of controlling it anymore. But now that the truth has come out, we are praying that the message of love will prevail and because we are united under one God.”
“The plane was having technical difficulty,” Torreon said. “It might have been the reason why there was a random check. Pastor had no idea that the money belonged to Felina Sabino Salinas, a Honolulu-based follower and officer of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. He was not prevented from leaving. If a case had been filed against him, he could have been detained, but as you can see, he was back in the Philippines very quickly. If he was deported, the process would have taken some time. But he was back in time to lead the worship service here.”
“Mrs. Salinas’ matters are being handled by the lawyers. Our US counterparts are ready and able and willing to answer these charges, maybe she has a reason why it happened.”
“So, definitely that was fake news. If you analyze it, there was only one news outfit that carried it in Hawaii, circulated. It fanned out of control just minutes after it came out. It unfortunately implicated Pastor when it was just a normal plane check.”
Speaking to InterAksyon, he said that the followers were very ecstatic that the Pastor is back and the service had become a rallying point for his followers to “work and work” for the preaching of the word of God.
Grace Andojar, 19, a Grade 11 student at Camarin High School, Caloocan City, plans to be a teacher but, right now, she is focused on serving the Son of God, “All of my dreams and aspirations are devoted to God. To serve as an instrument for the millennials, the youth. Here in this Kingdom, we learn how to dream. We let God to use us.”
Grace said that the Son of God, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is her everything: “He is the Son of God, We know him 100 percent, we know the ministry, his dreams and visions.”
Elizabeth Lo, 60, a Catholic, was a first-timer and said she is willing to attend another service if she is invited again. “Maganda yung preaching niya sa mga may sakit (I was impressed by his preaching to the sick).”
