WITHOUT elaborating, Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy said he continues to support President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The statement came following the President’s surprise visit at the ministry compound in Davao City last Wednesday during her cyber-corridor tour in several key cities in Visayas and Mindanao.
As the two spokespersons at Malacañang claimed that Arroyo’s segued visit to Quiboloy is purely a social visit, the pastor himself admitted that somehow it has something to do with the President’s unpopular political plan.
Arroyo is seeking a congressional seat in Pampanga’s second district in the coming May elections. Quiboloy, also a Kapampangan, is a supporter of the Arroyo administration.
“Many will wonder why the President has visited me and have dinner with me twice within less than a month. We know that the President is very comfortable here because she knows she has my support,” Quiboloy said.
He related that during the onset of the President’s campaign in 2004, a voice from above has revealed to him that Arroyo is chosen to lead the country.
“In fairness to our President, she has done so much good for our country. She has done her best – though her work has not been magnified -- but it cannot be suppressed or avoided because the people can see it with their very own eyes.”
Despite left and right issues and scandals being thrown at the President, the pastor said the good works of Arroyo will not be hidden.
“You may disparage a person but you cannot hide her good works. Likewise, a person may be portrayed as being good but you cannot conceal the evil he has done. In this case, when we speak about our President, it cannot be denied that she has done so much for this country, by strengthening and stabilizing our economy,” said Quiboloy.
President Arroyo was not the only government official who gets acquainted with Quiboloy.
The Davao pastor recently held a worship presentation at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.
Among the politicians who attended the event are Nacionalista Party standard bearers, Manny Villar and Loren Legarda, Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party presidential candidate Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas Movement, Bagumbayan Vice Presidential Candidate Bayani Fernando.
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ has six million members and supporters in the Philippines and worldwide.
Asked why he thinks several politicians and leaders of the country have come to him, Quiboloy said they seemed to see the importance of his blessings to them.
“Perhaps they see this, and they feel blessed and guided by a genuine heart, which has no desire whatsoever, and has no strings attached, except that they will be blessed, that the Almighty Father will delight in whoever will be declared as President. They have all my good wishes, they all have my blessings,” he said.
Another reason he cited why politicians keep coming back to see him was his approach of being unprejudiced.
“I believe that evil should be trumpeted less and the good should be magnified more and more. And that’s why people who want to protect their reputation come to me because I am not a sinister person who will try to exploit them and try to project their controversial or evil side, in order for me to take advantage of them,” the pastor added.
Together with the Arroyo during his visit to Quiboloy in Davao City were newly-installed Press Secretary Crispulo Icban, Deputy Spokesperson Ricardo Claudio, Mindanao Affairs Secretary Jess Dureza, Tesda Director General Agusto "Boboy" Syjuco, CICT Chairman Ray Anthony Chua, and Presidential Consultant for Region XI, Ms. Madeleine "Bebot" Marfori.
The President first visited Quiboloy last January 5.
Icban said that Arroyo’s visit to Quiboloy was one of her three unscheduled meetings during her cyber-corridor tour in Davao, Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo.
He said the President also visited Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said that Arroyo’s visit to Vidal was a birthday greeting since the cardinal will be celebrating his 79th birthday sometime this week.
In Davao, Arroyo has met with several military officers who briefed her about anti-insurgency operations. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)