QUICK and firm “...upon my order” was one of the strongest whip-lines of President Rodrigo Duterte that became a favorite media dessert this week. It was his reaction when shot by a leading question of the host Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy in his “Give Us This Day” television program.
Like Billy Graham who befriended and became a spiritual adviser to many American presidents, Quiboloy’s and Dutertes’ friendship can be traced back to the time when Duterte was still the mayor, congressman, vice mayor, and mayor of Davao City. And when Duterte was elected to presidency in 2016, Quiboloy, aside from being a self-proclaimed “appointed son of God” was also, by virtue of friendship, appointed to be the president’s spiritual adviser. His presidential advisory supposedly started in 2010 when he anointed and pronounced Gibo Teodoro as the 15th president of the Philippines as whispered to him by his “father”. But Gibo lost to PNoy.
The duo (Duterte and Quiboloy) earned irrational flak from the netizens and bashed in all walls of banters, for singling-out Kapa as conducting a “continuing crime” among the many investment schemes operating in the region. Happenstance, the verbal order of the president was tailed with burning down of a Kapa office in Cebu, and a series of raids to its Mindanao branches.
Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy – My admiration to this renowned evangelist started on that very first day I viewed his proselytization in a regional television in the early part of 90’s. Sometime in 2000 when I was employed with the RGMA-Cagayan de Oro, I was tasked to meet him in a press conference during his Kingdom Tour where we had an unforgettable handshake in one of the hotels in Cagayan de Oro City.
One of his exegeses that induced many to his ministry is his insistent emphasis on submission to the will of the Father which for me is an absolute criterion. I often visited his kingdom satellite along Lapasan highway in Cagayan de Oro because of a good relationship that was established between us in the media and his area coordinator. Every time I visit his camp I could see everybody going to and fro, occupied, producing goodies and preparing for a long day of street selling if only to support the kingdom ministry. As I observed, each of the follower is dedicated to do their share in blind faith. My appreciation to him changed in the later years when he declared he was sanctified and became the “Appointed Son of God”, and owns the earth! This may be true in his spiritual realm; but in secular and real life, I lost interest to dig any further who signed his appointment paper.
My space is very limited; catch the sequel of this column on Monday.
abrigodann@gmail.com