No grudge vs Rody – Quiboloy

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Contrary to reports, a pastor-friend of Rodrigo Duterte said he did not feel ignored by the incoming president.

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founding leader of a religious group called Kingdom of Jesus Christ the Name Above Every Name, also told the media yesterday that he was “squarely behind” Duterte and agreed that national interest should prevail over friendship.

Quiboloy added he is not interfering in affairs of state as the man he believes to be his close friend is poised to become the country’s 16th president on June 30.

Duterte earlier stressed that “friendship ends where national interest begins.” He said that all decisions on appointments to his Cabinet were solely his, with no one allowed to dictate on him.

It was his reaction to reports that Quiboloy was hurting from being eased out of Duterte’s inner circle after the elections.

“Mali po yung word na ‘tampo.’ Hindi po ako nagtatampo (‘Hurting’ is a wrong word. I’m not hurting),” Quiboloy said in a press conference at his group’s compound here.

“One of the things that must have been misunderstood is that I am using our friendship for something that is not good for public interest. I’d like to correct that. Both of us are guarding public interest,” he said.

“I also praise him for saying that he would prioritize the interest of the country to the extent that he is ready to sacrifice friendships. I believe in the values of the mayor and I am one with him on that conviction. I am not against that. That’s the way it should be,” he added.

Quiboloy stressed he would also give more importance to the interests of his group than his relationship with his friends.

“As a friend, if I were interfering with the national interest, I myself would stand aside. For now, the mayor views things not only as a mayor but as the leader of the country,” he added.

The incoming president earlier said much of his time was spent receiving well wishers and meeting with members of his transition committee tasked with arranging preparations for his swearing in on June 30.

Quiboloy’s spokesman Mike Abe earlier claimed some people close to Duterte were preventing the televangelist from communicating with the incoming president.

Quiboloy, who left for China late yesterday, said he fully understood how busy Duterte had been in the past few days as he was in the process of forming his Cabinet.

The pastor revealed he prayed and fasted for several days at his Glory Mountain. He said he is always praying for Duterte and for the country, and that he is immensely pleased with the outgoing mayor’s rising political fortunes.

“And I am happy to see him elected president of the country which was in a way a fulfillment of a dream I had 18 years ago that he would one day become president of the country,” Quiboloy said.

The evangelist has been telling people about a dream of himself and Duterte playing golf in Malacañang grounds.

“I pray for Duterte’s success; that the Father Almighty would guide and bless him in the next six years of his administration, and that he would be able to bring about real change that every Filipino is longing for,” Quiboloy added.

He added people had been calling him for advice on some concerns, hoping he would relay them to the incoming president.

“I advised them to go to the mayor directly,” he said, adding the incoming president and his team are very busy. “Alam natin yung kinalalagyan niya ngayon (We know his situation now),” Quiboloy said.

Eleanor Cardona, executive secretary of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, said Duterte and Quiboloy last saw each other when the incoming president visited the group’s compound on election day. The two, however, had a very short phone conversation about the requests and concerns being relayed to the evangelist.

 “It was just a discussion what happened. We were flooded by requests,” Cardona said.

She revealed some of those talking to Quiboloy were job seekers. Cardona said Quiboloy had clarified to those making requests that he was not included in the Duterte camp’s decision-making process. She lamented that Quiboloy had to carry the burden of having to transmit messages and concerns to Duterte. 

 “In fact in our worship, it was the first time that we have seen him cry, he sobbed. It was a live worship, we don’t usually do live worships but when he prayed for the country and for mayor, it was aired live,” Cardona said.

Quiboloy revealed he is launching a national prayer and fasting for the success of the administration of Duterte. “For the success of Duterte is also the success of the entire country,” he said.

“He will be facing a huge responsibility as president and he needs prayers. He has a lot of things to face and a lot of problems to solve. He needs all of us to pray for him,” he added. – With Alexis Romero