Sharing with media the Pastor’s hurt feeling, Quiboloy’s spokesperson, Mike Abe, said the last face-to-face meeting of the two was at 3 a.m. of May 10, several hours after it became certain that Duterte had won the May 9 election. Duterte was interviewed at Quiboloy’s Sunshine Media Network International.
Abe said the two even shared a hug, before the winning presidential candidate left.
After that, Abe said Duterte has become inaccessible to the Pastor anymore.
“After that, their communication was already cut off. We believe there are people getting in the way of the two friends,” Abe said naming Christopher “Bong” Go, and Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s executive assistant and spokesperson respectively, as forming the incoming president’s cordon sanitaire.
The closeness of Duterte and Quiboloy is public knowledge. Days before Election Day, when Duterte had to admit his hefty bank accounts and properties as exposed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Duterte named Quiboloy as source of his assets.
Duterte said the pastor has been generous with him, giving him properties and cars. He said he didn’t have to embezzle funds, “I can ask Pastor.”
Duterte also said Quiboloy lent him his plane during the campaign and was willing to allow him to use that if he want to go home to Davao every night during his presidency.
Abe said “Pastor Quiboloy is not interested in a quid pro quo but he wants to be included in the selection process, to have a voice in the process, but he will not make any recommendations in terms of accepting or rejecting a nominee. What he wants is to take part in vetting the qualifications of a nominee, to help in double-checking their backgrounds, especially for the sensitive positions.”
Abe said the pastor is worried about his friends style of appointing persons in cabinet positions, “Turo-turo lang.”
While Duterte’s Transition team spokesman Peter Laviña apologized to Quiboloy, the President-elect put Quiboloy in his proper place.
Duterte said: “Let me be very clear, my friendship with my friends ends when the interest of the country begins. I would as much as possible make you happy if you are my friend, but I will not allow anybody to color my decisions in government. From now on it is always the interest of the people of the Republic of the Philippines that counts, period.”
Unlike in other issues where he would elaborate lengthily, Duterte was terse. He just added:”Lahat ng suporta sa akin, lahat ng tulong. That’s my statement. I’m sorry.”
Abe said that the pastor was “Nagtatampo lang pero willing makipag-usap.” As of Sunday, Abe said the president-elect has not yet talked with his spiritual adviser.
Even the best of friends need respite from each other. Everything will be just like old times again.
Only a few days and already Quiboloy misses Digong, that’s true love. I mean between friends. 🙂
May bago na kasing bff si Duterte, si Manuel Villar, mas mayaman kesa kay Quiboloy. Hehehe!
Chi, we can’t be sure if Villar is richer than Quiboloy. I don’t think Villar has an airplane.
This is really a very Good start for a “real” reform…perhaps, we just don’t know if the “son of God” is trying to influence the incoming Duterte Administration by positioning his followers in Govt vacated posts and it is a NO-NO since Duterte was very emphatic that other than position of trust every other position will be filled with applicants based on MERITS…truly the ‘separation’ of the Church and the State..the Phil is still a Secular State…
Appears to me Digong has outgrown his spiritual adviser. Sayang, Quiboloy used to give Digong everything, money in the banks, cars, houses, godly advice, etc.
Well, Quiboloy has delivered, Digong is now president, and now Quiboloy can take backseat, the frontseat is reserved for valedictorians, communists the likes of Jalandoni and Joma and also NPAs. The son of god ought to share Digong with others, be humble, and not be greedy.
Someday, when power fades and Digong is back in Davao and no longer president, then Quiboloy can come back in. Friends uli sila, happily ever after.
Duterte said: “Let me be very clear, my friendship with my friends ends when the interest of the country begins. I would as much as possible make you happy if you are my friend, but I will not allow anybody to color my decisions in government. From now on it is always the interest of the people of the Republic of the Philippines that counts, period.”..
Kahanga hanga ang salita na iyan ni Duterte. Iyan ang dapat para sa isang lider ng bansa. Hindi katulad ng ibang mga nagiging pangulo na kung may gusto ang kaibigan lalo kung nakatulong sa halalan ay paboran.
Nabasa ko lang. “Parang may mali. Iyong mga BATA na hindi naranasan ang martial law ang nagproprotesta laban kay bongbong marcos. Habang ang MATATANDA naman na siguradong naranasan at naabutan ang panahon ng martial law ang siyang lumalaban para kay bongbong marcos.”