PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, in his speech, wished he could stop corruption, the way he believes that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy was able to stop the earthquake.
“If I can only have that power doon sa mga kurakot na... ‘i-stop!’ (If I can only have that power to tell those corrupt government officials by telling them ‘stop!’),” Duterte said on Friday during the inauguration of the Acacia Hotel in Lanang, Davao City.
The President’s remark was in connection to Quiboloy’s recent statement wherein he claimed that he stopped the recent spate of earthquakes that hit Mindanao.
“Sabi ko, ‘Lindol, huminto ka.’ Huminto (I said earthquake, stop! It stopped.),” Quiboloy said on the October 30 episode of “Give Us This Day,” a weekly television show produced and aired by the pastor’s religious sect.
Thus, making the pastor a subject of jokes and online memes.
Duterte said that he believes that Quiboloy, his long-time friend and supporter, stopped the quake.
“I believe in Pastor Quiboloy. When he said ‘stop’, eh kung nag-stop, eh di what’s the trouble?” the President said.
Quiboloy is the founder and lead pastor of Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc. which has over four million tithed followers in the Philippines, and two million followers outside the country.
Meanwhile, Duterte, who was the guest of honor of the hotel’s inauguration, reiterated his stand against corruption.
He also encouraged the businessmen, who were present during the event, to report government officials who are asking for additional charges and delaying their business transactions directly to him.
“Pag may negosyo kayo, sabihin ninyo sa akin kung hiningiin kayo ng pera (If you are a businessman and someone ask you for bribe, tell it to me),” Duterte said.