DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 Apr) – International evangelist Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy said he will spearhead a revolution if presidential candidate Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte will be cheated during May 9 national and local elections.
He said this amid reports of manipulations in the absentee voting for Filipinos abroad since it started last April 9 and ongoing until May 9.
“If you cheat Duterte who is 12 percentage points ahead of his opponents, there will be a revolution. I will lead a revolution of the people,” Quiboloy said. But he stressed he will not allow cheating to happen as his friend “will win.”
Quiboloy, speaking during the inauguration of a three-storey CJFI (Children of Joy Foundation Inc.) Residential Care Center in Brgy. Indangan, Buhangin here on Thursday, added that a strongman like Duterte should be elected into the presidency as he expressed confidence that the mayor will put a dent on the most pressing problems like criminality.
“The main issue here is who will solve criminality. If Mayor Duterte is not put in power, these people will be involved in ISIS-like groups. If it will happen here, no businessmen will come here, and we will be economically deprived of investments,” he said, referring to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who reportedly beheaded Canadian national John Ridsdel, one of its four captives abducted in nearby Samal Island September last year.
Quiboloy, who claims he has millions of followers worldwide, believes that Duterte is the only presidential bet “who has the balls to do that.”
If Duterte gets elected into the presidency, the pastor signified interest to help in his friend’s administration.
On the allegation of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV that Duterte has P211 million in undeclared wealth, Quiboloy said that they are expecting that such “propaganda” will be hurled against the presidential frontrunner.
“In the whole stretch of this political season, you expect something like that to come out but for me that’s a minor issue,” he said.
Duterte’s camp also hit Trillanes for his accusation that the city mayor has P211 million in undeclared wealth deposited at the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) branch along Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City.
In an email on Thursday, Peter T. Laviña, head of Duterte team’s media group, said their legal experts are looking into the possible cases that can be filed against Trillanes.
“Maniwala kayo. That’s garbage. You can check with the bank. You go there,” said Duterte.
“I told you, he is a liar. He fabricated this,” he added.
He said that he and his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano had already waived bank secrecy rights after signing a manifesto last March 11 at the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños.
Rival Mar Roxas, the administration bet, on his Facebook page on Wednesday lambasted Duterte and challenged him to explain his alleged undeclared wealth of P211 million.
“Mayor Duterte, liwanagin po natin ang buong katotohanan dito sa mga bank account na ito. Ang pinaghuhugutan ng kapangyarihan ng lahat ng liderato ay tiwala mula sa ating mga kababayan. Papaano magtitiwala ang mga kababayan natin sa ‘yo kung hindi malinaw ang iyong mga sagot sa mga malinaw na katanungan?” he said.
He went on to say that trust from the people is where the president draws his power to lead the nation.
“Ang tintakbuhan po nating posisyon ay pagkapangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas… Papaano ipagkakaloob ito, papaano mananatili ito, papano natin papanatilihin ‘yung pagkakaisa o pakikiisa ng isang buong bansa sakaling tayo nga po ang maging pangulo kung pabago-bago ka sa iyong sinasabi?” Roxas said.
If he earned the money himself, Roxas said there is nothing to be shamed of.
“Mayor Duterte, nananawagan ako sayo: Ihayag mo ang buong katotohanan dito sa mga bank accounts na ito,” he said.