A WITNESS against detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has recanted his statements, claiming that he was paid by Senator Risa Hontiveros to testify not only against the sect leader but also against former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a video message, Michael Maurillo said he was alias “Rene,” one of the masked witnesses during the Senate investigation led by Senator Risa Hontiveros into the alleged illegal activities inside the KOJC involving Quiboloy and other officials of the religious organization.
During his appearance at the Senate inquiry, Maurillo claimed that he used to be a gardener at KOJC’s Glory Mountain in Davao City and that he personally experienced abuse at the hands of Quiboloy and other officials.
Among his exposés during the hearing was his claim that he saw the Dutertes visiting Quiboloy at the property and leaving with bags of firearms.
Maurillo said all his statements during the hearing were pure lies.
“Ako po ‘yung kinuhang witness ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros na nakatakip ang mukha pero ngayon hindi na kasi nagsasabi na ako ng totoo. Lahat ng sinabi ko at mga kasama ko doon na nag-witness sa Senado ay gawa lamang ni Sen. Risa upang pabagsakin si Pastor at ang buong Kingdom,” Maurillo said.
(I was the witness recruited by Senator Risa Hontiveros, the one with the covered face, but now I'm no longer hiding because I'm telling the truth. Everything I and my fellow witnesses said in the Senate was fabricated by Senator Risa to bring down the Pastor and the entire Kingdom.)
He said he was paid by Hontiveros to implicate Quiboloy and the Dutertes in illegal activities to bring them down.
Maurillo said he joined the KOJC in 2015 and became a full-time worker at Glory Mountain in 2019.
He said the KOJC leadership allowed him to leave in 2021.
In February 2024, Maurillo said a former KOJC member contacted him and invited him to serve as a witness in the Senate probe in exchange for money.
“Pinagawa ako ng affidavit tungkol sa gawain ko sa loob ng Kingdom, mga transaction at operation na kinasangkutan ko. Ang mga isinulat ko doon ay pawang mga personal experiences lang at wala ako binanggit na pananakit, sexual abuse o human trafficking sa aking salaysay,” Maurillo said.
(I was made to write an affidavit about my work inside the Kingdom, including the transactions and operations I was involved in. What I wrote there were purely personal experiences, and I did not mention anything about physical abuse, sexual abuse, or human trafficking in my statement.)
“Matapos kong ibigay ang affidavit, muli kaming nag-meet nung [chief of staff ni Senator Risa], makaraan ang dalawang araw, binigyan niya ako ng revised affidavit na naglalaman na ng mga karagdagang alegasyon ng pananakit ni Pastor na hindi ko naman naranasan o nakita. Kasama rin dito ang maling pahayag na ako daw ay na-assign sa SMNI News kahit hindi totoo dahil ako ay nasa Glory Mountain from 2019 to 2021. Nandun din ang alegasyon sa diumano nasaksihan ko tungkol sa mga baril na sangkot sina VP Sara Duterte at dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na hindi naman totoo dahil wala naman akong nasaksihan na ganung pangyayari,” he added.
(After I submitted the affidavit, I met again with Senator Risa’s chief of staff, and two days later, he gave me a revised affidavit containing additional allegations of abuse by Pastor, which I neither experienced nor witnessed. It also included a false claim that I was assigned to SMNI News, which is untrue because I was at Glory Mountain from 2019 to 2021. The affidavit also contained an allegation that I supposedly witnessed firearms involving Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte, which is also false because I never witnessed such an incident.)
Maurillo said he was in tears while reading the revised affidavit provided to him, overcome with guilt.
He said he initially received P1 million for making such statements.
Maurillo said he was offered a larger amount of money in exchange for implicating Duterte allies Senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Ronald dela Rosa, but he refused out of fear that they might attend the hearing and confront him face-to-face, something he felt he could not handle.
He said Hontiveros also made him stay in her condominium while the hearing was ongoing and asked him to recruit more former KOJC members to testify against Quiboloy.
'Fabricated'
In a statement, Hontiveros denied Maurillo’s claims.
“Sangkaterba ang EBIDENSYA ng aking opisina na magpapatunay na gawa-gawa lang ang pahayag ngayon ng taong iyan (My office has overwhelming evidence to prove that that person's current statement is fabricated). All witnesses presented during the Quiboloy Senate hearings FREELY and VOLUNTARILY OFFERED their testimonies and the evidence they carried,” Hontiveros said.
“Lahat ng iyan ay may paper trail and readily corroborated by multiple agencies and officials. HANDA RIN KAMI ILABAS ANG IBA’t IBANG SCREENSHOT AT VIDEO SA TAMANG PANAHON,” she added.
(All of that has a paper trail and is readily corroborated by multiple agencies and officials. We are also ready to release various screenshots and videos at the appropriate time.)
Hontiveros expressed belief that Maurillo has been coerced or paid off to derail the ongoing criminal proceedings against Quiboloy.
“Ganyan sila kadesperado (That's how desperate they are),” she said.
“We are preparing our SERIOUS LEGAL RESPONSE against this act of harassment and intimidation. Hindi namin palalampasin ang mga nasa likod ng pananakot na ito (we will not let those behind this intimidation get away with it),” she added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)