Carvajal: The Asog enigma

Three enigmas really. One is Quiboloy himself, who, what he is. Two is why he has a robust following from all over in spite… And three is why some politicians do not want him to even face charges filed against him in court.

According to Google, Apollo Quiboloy is “a Filipino fugitive, pastor, and leader of the church… Kingdom of Jesus Christ.” Quiboloy himself claims he is the Appointed Son of God (Asog) and Owner of the Universe. (Remember the Davao quake he claimed to stop?) But a son is either begot or adopted and never appointed. What does his appointment mean that he should call his church “Kingdom of Jesus Christ,” God’s only begotten son, and not “Kingdom of Apollo Quiboloy,” God’s only appointed son?

The enigma gets murkier when one looks at his life of extreme wealth, a far cry from the simple life of God the Son, Jesus. Moreover, he is being accused of transgressions that happen on the outer edges of a human, but nowhere in a divine, person’s life. He is innocent, of course, of all charges until proven guilty. But here’s the tricky enigmatic part. If he is innocent of these charges, why does he avoid clearing his name by setting conditions for his surrender? What kind of a god is he that he should shy away from truth and justice?

Yet, the Asog has quite a following. He has followers all over the world, although some of the very same are suing him for crimes a son of God, albeit appointed, cannot possibly commit, like sexual abuse and trafficking in persons. What is the message that enchants followers and magnetizes them towards his church? What magical spell does he cast on people who follow him in spite of his discordantly colorful life?

The third enigma is, on one hand, really no enigma at all because we know too well why some politicians support Quiboloy and help in preventing his arrest or capture by the proper authorities. With elections the way they are in this country, anybody with ambitions of power will want to get on Quiboloy’s good graces for the obvious reason that he not only has votes on command but also money for candidates of his choice. On the other hand, it remains an enigma how some politicians are able to reconcile official responsibility with their move to keep Quiboloy out of reach by the arms of the law.

(Ex-President Duterte is part of the enigma for he once called out the God of Catholic bishops as stupid. Would Quiboloy’s God then be different, not stupid but wise to appoint Quiboloy his son? Would that be why, and not political opportunism, he is supporting Quiboloy and has agreed to be caretaker of the latter’s properties?)

Filipinos deserve the truth. Quiboloy, if he is truly God’s appointed son, should surrender to authorities as Jesus did and remove the enigma he has blanketed his public persona with. His church must be founded on the truth of its founder, Asog Apollo Quiboloy, if it is to be rightly trumpeted as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.