DPWH funds aided KOJC projects, source says

By Manuel T. Ugalde

Significant developments on the Davao City estate of detained Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), are reportedly linked to government funds funneled through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) during the Duterte administration.

According to a whistleblower, Robert Canezal, who worked with the Masbate Area Equipment Service Office, there were noticeable visits from Davao City representatives to DPWH district offices in Masbate early in the Duterte administration.

At that time, Danilo Versola, a Davao-based official appointed as DPWH regional director for Bicol, was allegedly viewed as overseeing one of the most corruption-plagued departments by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. Versola, reportedly dealing with health issues, frequently commuted between Davao and Bicol, often absent from mandatory government activities, such as Monday flag-raising ceremonies.

Canezal, an equipment operator and a key whistleblower in a previous plunder case against 42 DPWH officials in 2011, revealed that Davao-based contractors were consistently visiting the DPWH regional office in Legazpi, seemingly in pursuit of contracts.

These visits included a grand welcome event in Legazpi for Director Versola, featuring numerous lechons and livestock as a gesture from regional district engineers. An unnamed local contractor noted that her attempts to meet with Versola were unsuccessful, as the office was occupied by visitors from Davao.

The extent to which these Davao contractors secured Bicol projects remains unclear, but sources suggested these engagements could have indirectly benefited the KOJC Cathedral and other facilities associated with Quiboloy in Davao. Versola was succeeded by Virgilio Eduarte, who later stated he was aware of the Davao-based group’s presence in Bicol but declined to provide further details.

In a related Senate inquiry led by Senator Risa Hontiveros, former KOJC member Arlene Stone, now residing in the U.S., shared her experiences within Quiboloy’s organization. Stone alleged abusive practices within KOJC, including sexual abuse allegations from young followers. She claimed that during Duterte’s presidency, Quiboloy’s KOJC facilities in Davao, including a cathedral and a hangar, were further developed.

Stone, who was part of Quiboloy’s inner circle in the early 2000s, recounted disturbing experiences, including an instance where Quiboloy pressured her to offer her 13-year-old daughter to him, which she refused. In a recent vlog with Attorney Ranny Libayan, Stone expressed her motivation for speaking out, hoping to strengthen the voices of alleged victims, including a young Ukrainian member of KOJC who had come forward with similar accusations.