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Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. She questions officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration about Guo’s whereabouts and possible lapses in monitoring her movements. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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20250304-senate-subcommitee-hearing

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175091729708320250304-hontiveros-risa-guo-senate-hearing-MT-8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>Senator Risa Hontiveros is preparing a “serious legal response” against an alleged witness who claimed he was paid by the senator to give false testimonies against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and former Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte during the Senate hearings last year.<br id="isPasted"/><br/>“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,” Hontiveros said in a statement.<br/><br/>In a video posted on the Facebook page Pagtanggol Valiente, a certain Michael Maurilio who uses the alias “Rene” said he is speaking voluntarily to set the record straight.<br/><br/>“Binayaran po ako ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros para mag-testify laban kay PRRD, VP Sara, at kay Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy. Lahat ng sinabi ko at mga kasama ko doon na nag-witness sa Senado ay ginawa lamang ni Sen. Risa upang pabagsakin si Pastor at ang buong Kingdom at kunin ang kanilang mga ari-arian,” Maurilio said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/23/ex-kojc-member-recalls-sexual-abuse-months-long-fasting-to-slowly-kill-me-1205">Eye to eye with Quiboloy, Hontiveros asks: &#x27;Did you sexually abuse KOJC women, children?&#x27;</a></div><p>On February 19, 2024, a man who was wearing a cap, face mask, and sun glasses was introduced in a Senate hearing as alias Rene, a witness against Quiboloy.<br id="isPasted"/><br/>Rene was a landscaper at Quiboloy’s Glory Mountain in Davao City. </p><p>He said during the hearing that Quiboloy would bring huge bags with different kinds of firearms, and that former President Duterte and former Mayor Duterte would visit and bring the said bags with them when they left.<br id="isPasted"/><br/>Maurilio is now saying these are untrue.<br/><br/>He said another ex-full time worker at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) contacted him and asked if he would like to be a witness in exchange for money, which he agreed to.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/23/ex-kojc-member-recalls-sexual-abuse-months-long-fasting-to-slowly-kill-me-1205">Ex-KOJC member recalls sexual abuse, months-long fasting &#x27;to slowly kill me&#x27;</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/23/kojc-leader-pastor-quiboloy-denies-sexually-abusing-women-minors-at-senate-panel-probe-2100">KOJC leader Pastor Quiboloy denies sexually abusing women, minors at Senate panel probe</a></div><div><br/></div><p><strong></strong>“Pinagawa ako ng affidavit tungkol sa mga gawain ko sa loob ng Kingdom, mga transaction, mga operation na kinasangkutan ko, ang isinulat ko doon ay pawang mga personal kong experience lamang at wala akong binanggit na pananakit, sexual abuse, o human trafficking sa aking salaysay,” he said in the video.<br id="isPasted"/><br/>Two days later, a staff of Hontiveros allegedly gave him a revised affidavit.<br/><br/>“Binigyan niya ako ng revised affidavit na naglalaman na ng mga karagdagang alegasyon ng pananakit ni Pastor na hindi ko naman naranasan o nakita,” Maurilio said.<br/><br/>“Andun din yung alegasyon na sa diumano ay nasaksikhan ko tungkol sa mga baril na sangkot sina Sara Duterte at dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na hindi naman totoo dahil wala naman akong nasaksihan na ganung pangyayari,” he added.<br/><br/>Maurilio continued, “Pinilit din akong idagdag yung pangalan nina Senador Bong Go at Senador Bato Dela Rosa sa affidavit kapalit ng mas malaking halaga ng pera. Pero hindi ko na sila isinama kasi baka umattend sila sa hearing at magtanong at ma-corner ako.”<br/><br/>He claimed Hontiveros paid him P500,000 for appearing in the Senate, and another P500,000 for testifying against the Dutertes.<br/><br/>“Sa araw ng hearing, umiyak ako dahil sa konsensya habang binabasa ko yung script na alam ko naman na hindi totoo at hindi ginawa ni Pastor at ng Kingdom,” Maurilio said.<br/><br/>He also alleged that the private army called Angels of Death is made up.<br/><br/>“Hindi ko na masikmura yung mga ipinapagawa ni Sen. Risa na kasinungalingan at ang pamimilit niya na magsampa ako ng kaso kapalit ng pera. Wala pong ginawang mali si Pastor sa akin. Puro kabutihan ang aking naranasan habang nasa loob pa ng kingdom,” Maurilio remarked.<br/><br/>Hontiveros belied the allegations.<br/><br/>“Kasinungalingan ang mga alegasyon ngayon mula sa nagpakilalang dating testigo sa pagdinig ng Senado ukol sa mga krimen ni Pastor Apollo Quiboloy,” she said in her statement.<br/><br/>“Sangkaterba ang ebidensiya ng aking opisina na magpapatunay na gawa-gawa lang ang pahayag ngayon ng taong iyan. All witnesses presented during the Quiboloy Senate hearings freely and voluntarily offered their testimonies and the evidence they carried,” she added.<br/><br/>She said everything is documented and can be readily corroborated by various agencies and officials. Her office is also prepared to release screenshots at the necessary time.<br/><br/>Hontiveros said, “We have reason to believe that this individual has been coerced or paid off to derail the ongoing criminal proceedings against Quiboloy, and disturbingly, threaten my staff and the witnesses who spoke out against Quiboloy&#x27;s heinous crimes. Ganyan sila kadesperado.”<br/><br/>On his Facebook page, Dela Rosa reshared the viral video and said, “Kung ito man ay totoo, hindi ko alam paano nila nasikmura ang ganitong gawain. Pati ako ay pilit pang idamay through fabrication of lies.”<br/><br/>In a separate post he added, “Hindi mananaig ang kasamaan sa mundo!”<br/><br/>Go, meanwhile, said, “Sa totoo lang tayo. The truth always.&quot; </p><p>Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Maurilio should be charged with perjury. </p><p>“Sa aking opinyon, itong taong ito nanumpa sa Senado na magsasabi ng katotohanan at walang ng iba. Binigyan siya ng pagkakataon na malayang magsalita para maabot natin ang hustisya at katotohanan. Subalit ngayon, iba na ang sinasabi niya na lumalabas nagsinungaling siya sa Senado at taong bayan,” Gatchalian said in a message. </p><p>“Ito ay isang sampal sa mukha ng Senado bilang isang institusyon. Dapat kasuhan itong taong ito ng perjury at lying under oath dahil sa pagsisinungaling niya sa institusyon,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p9ivvoIiBSg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros is preparing a “serious legal response” against an alleged witness who claimed he was paid by the senator to give false testimonies against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Vice President Sara Duterte during Senate hearings last year.</p>

Sen. Risa Hontiveros is preparing a “serious legal response” against an alleged witness who claimed he was paid by the senator to give false testimonies against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Vice President Sara Duterte during Senate hearings last year.

Hontiveros readies ‘serious legal response’ vs witness who says he was 'paid' to testify vs Quiboloy, Dutertes

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Hontiveros readies ‘serious legal response’ vs witness who says he was 'paid' to testify vs Quiboloy, Dutertes

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 26, 2025 02:06 PM PHT

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Updated June 27, 2025 10:57 AM PHT

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