Catching the fugitives

FINALLY, after a long. Complicated and elaborate search, fugitives Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo were arrested and indicted.

The efforts exerted by the authorities explain the urgency of these two fugitives’ arrest. Quiboloy to face the more serious offenses of qualified human trafficking and sexual abuse; Guo with various offenses including her participation in POGO activities, falsification of public documents and others.

Pastor Quiboloy, for his part, has lived luxuriously through his haranguing and preaching; Guo, who is Chinese, has lived off volumes of money coming out of the POGO treadmill and has, in fact, several properties and tons of money in her bank accounts which have been pierced by the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

Quiboloy who has convinced thousand of followers and adherents has mastered the art of public speaking and deception and has postured himself as a holy man and a self-anointed son of God and in the process has amassed wealth and properties through his mendicant followers. Now, it seems the end of his once luxurious lifestyle!

It also seems the end of the political career of ex-mayor Alice Guo. With her possible conviction, she would be barred from ever holding public and/or government positions.

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I visited the session hall of the barangay sanggunian of Mabiga and was visibly impressed by the neat and orderly arrangement of tables and chairs (brand new) for the barangay kagawads: Julius Garbo, Alfonso Layson, Rogelio Cruz, Annabelle delos Reyes, Abelardo Gomez, Mario Punzalan, Arwin dela Cruz and SK Chairman Jaybee Layson.

Punong Barangay Chairman Elmer Rivera Calaguas saw to it that the Kagawads will have a nice and comfortable working area and use funds therefor prudently.

Barangay Mabiga is even a contender for a provincial excellence award, according to Barangay Secretary Romy Rivera.

A team from the provincial DILG came to assess and validate Mabiga’s compliance with the requirements of the award.

It is to the credit of Punong Barangay Chairman Elmer Rivera Calaguas, his barangay council and workers that it qualifies for the provincial award.