AS APOLLO Quiboloy’s SMNI media network prepared to air a debate that presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao skipped, news broke that the Makati prosecutor’s office had junked Pacquiao’s cyberlibel complaint against the pastor.
Inquirer’s Daphne Galvez obtained the resolution from the city office, which stated that Pacquiao had “failed to prove that respondent [Quiboloy] made those statements with knowledge of their falsity and with reckless disregard of whether they were false or not.”
In 2021, Pacquiao had filed the case against the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ — currently wanted by the FBI on sex trafficking charges — last year. The senator demanded that the self-proclaimed appointed son of God pay P100 million in damages after Quiboloy had said on live television and in a social media post that the senator had misused funds for the planned Sarangani Sports Training Center.
According to the Makati prosecutor’s office, Pacquiao’s case had failed to establish malice on the part of Quiboloy.
In a statement, Quiboloy’s camp said that they had already received the resolution of the case last January 21.
“Indeed, truth and justice have prevailed,” Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) quoted its founder Quiboloy as saying.
Cyberlibel complaint was partly why Pacquiao declined SMNI debate invite
The cyberlibel complaint was one of two reasons Pacquiao gave for not attending the SMNI debate.
The other, he said, was the dictates of his conscience, as he could not stomach being part of any activity organized by a man wanted for detestable crimes and who unconscionably used the name of the Lord in vain for religious scams.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph