THE Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church released on Wednesday, January 23, a statement informing the public of having no connections or relations to the business under the name Kapa Community Ministry International Inc. (Kapa) or Kabus Padatuon.
This was after the church received reports from its members not just in Mindanao but also Visayas of Kapa’s operations under a certain Joel Apolinario.
“The Seventh-day Adventist Church or any of its attached agencies and institutions is not connected or related in any manner to an entity doing business under the name Kapa Community Ministry International Inc. aka 'Kapa' (Kabus Padatuon),” the statement said.
“A certain Joel Apolinario, the person behind it, is not a pastor, minister or worker of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or any of its attached agencies and institutions contrary to what has been circulated around,” it added.
According to Jade Yerro-Soreño, the associate communication director of the Communication and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the South Philippine Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Apolinario is a member of the church, however, he's under censure or disciplinary action.
The Adventist Church also warned the public that they will not be liable or responsible for any transaction that Apolinario and the Kapa shall enter into.
“Further, be it known that the Seventh-day Adventist Church does not ‘believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be received through the aid of money,’” the Adventist Church stated.
Soreño also shared that the Adventist Church has been conducting information drives to all of their members and the local offices were advised to counsel their members to get out of Kapa “or else they will be dropped from the membership.”
“For those who still continue to engage in Kapa, then the local offices can decide na kukunin yung membership nila, i-erase yung membership nila from the Adventist Church,” Soreño said.
She added that there are several members of the church, particularly in Surigao, Butuan and General Santos City, whose memberships were dropped.
It can be recalled that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a public advisory against Kapa last October 3, 2018.
It is said in the advisory that Kapa is not authorized to solicit investment as it requires a secondary license to do so as provided under the Securities Regulations Code (SRC).
The SEC said it has received information that Kapa, which is operating in Mindanao particularly in Pangyan Glan and Alabel, Saranggani Province; Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; General Santos City, South Cotabato; is offering insurance to the public to invest in their company with a promised 30 percent interest income at the end of the month.
“Section 28 of the SRC prohibits any person from engaging in the buying or selling of securities in the Philippines as a broker or dealer unless registered as such with the commission,” the advisory said.
The commission has advised the public to stop investing in said investment activity and to take necessary precautions in dealing with the said entity or its representatives.