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Under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, one of Quiboloy’s closest allies, sedition was used to crack down on government critics
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) has filed sedition and inciting to sedition complaints against Apollo Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, and former anti-insurgency spokesperson Lorraine Badoy.
CIDG chief Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III led the filing of the complaint against Torreon, Badoy, and others at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, October 17. The rest of the respondents are as follows:
- Eleanor Cardona
- Jeffrey Celis
- Kathleen Kaye Laurente
- Trinidad Arafol
- Lord Byron Cristobal
- Joey Espina Sun
- Esteban Lava
- Jose Lim III
- Marie Dinah Fuentes
Torre explained that the respondents committed or incited sedition during the months-long arrest of Quiboloy, who faces trafficking and abuse cases.
Under the Revised Penal Code, sedition is committed by people who rise “publicly and tumultuously” in order to prevent the government from exercising its functions, among others. Inciting to sedition, meanwhile, is committed by people “without taking any direct part in the crime of sedition, should incite others to the accomplishment of any of the acts which constitute sedition.”
“Well, nakita ‘nyo naman. The government is serving a warrant of arrest against the five fugitives and they are preventing us from doing so. So, isa ‘yon sa mga specific na mga offenses or acts…. So ‘yon ang papasok sa sedition and inciting sedition,” Torre told reporters.
(Well, you saw it yourselves. The government was serving a warrant of arrest against the five fugitives and they prevented us from doing so. So, those are the specific offenses or acts, or the acts that fall under sedition and inciting sedition.)
Celiz, meanwhile, issued a statement in response to the PNP complaint: “It is my firm belief that the sedition and inciting to sedition complaints filed by PNP Gen. Nicolas Torre against Mr. Jeffrey Celiz, and others, are not only baseless and ridiculous, but also represent a seriously worrying trend of harassing dissenting and democratic voices in the country today.”
Quiboloy was arrested by the police in Davao City after a months-long manhunt and a stand-off between cops and the preacher’s supporters. He is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center inside Camp Crame while he undergoes trial. Quiboloy is also wanted in the United States for sexual trafficking of children.
Same weapon
Under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, one Quiboloy’s closest allies, sedition was used to crack down on government critics.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of Duterte’s fiercest critics, faced multiple inciting to sedition and sedition charges. The first inciting to sedition case was filed after Trillanes mentioned in a privilege speech Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth, while the second one was filed over Trillanes’ statements in relation to his amnesty battle against Duterte.
Amid the Bikoy video controversy, where allegations were made about Duterte’s involvement in the illegal drug trade, the PNP also filed a sedition complaint against some members of the opposition, including Trillanes. A Quezon City court already junked the case in September 2023.
But aside from high-ranking officials, ordinary citizens also faced sedition charges under Duterte.
Rodel Jayme, creator of the website to allegedly spread Bikoy’s videos, was charged for inciting sedition. In 2020, a teacher and her son were also nabbed without warrants over an allegedly “provoking” Facebook post, after they were charged for inciting to sedition and disobedience to authority. – Rappler.com
