After declining yet another televised face-off — the CNN Philippines debates — against fellow presidential candidates, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has confirmed that he is attending the presidential debate organized by Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), aka the newsgroup owned by church leader and alleged sex trafficker, Apollo Quiboloy.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation released a “Wanted” poster last week for Quiboloy after he was earlier indicted by American prosecutors on sex trafficking and cash smuggling charges.
READ: The FBI released a ‘Wanted’ poster for church pastor, Duterte ‘spiritual adviser’ Apollo Quiboloy
Quiboloy has earlier indicated support for Marcos and his running mate Sara Duterte, Davao city mayor and daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Kingdom of Jesus Christ church pastor has styled himself as Duterte’s “spiritual adviser” and “the appointed son of God” on separate occasions, and even conducted a pray-over on Mayor Sara during the Marcos-Duterte caravan kickoff.
Apollo Carreon Quiboloy is wanted by the #FBI in Los Angeles, CA, for his role in a labor & sex trafficking scheme that brought victims to America and, among other things, forced them to solicit donations for a bogus charity & enter into sham marriages: https://t.co/q8pNL81Xkm pic.twitter.com/2CEoJRdhsP
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) February 7, 2022
Meanwhile, fellow presidential contender and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao had this to say about the SMNI-hosted debates:
“I cannot, in good conscience, be part of any activity organized by a man wanted for detestable crimes and who unconscionably used the name of the Lord in vain for religious scams.”
Marcos has been a no-show at the Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews by GMA News, and the presidential forum by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas. He did, however, show up to ABS-CBN’s 2022 Presidential One-on-One Interviews with Boy Abunda, shortly after receiving flak for turning down the Soho interview special.
READ: The #MarcosDuwag fiasco has a sequel, after Bongbong Marcos declines another presidential forum
