The Michael Maurilio Recantation and What It Says About Truth in Our Politics

When a witness suddenly flips their story, people usually ask just one question: sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo?

But maybe we should be asking something else, too: who's benefiting from the lie—and which lie are we talking about?

That question has become painfully relevant again after Michael Maurilio, also known as "Rene" during the Senate hearings on Apollo Quiboloy, publicly recanted his testimony. In a video posted on Facebook and picked up by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Maurilio now claims that Senator Risa Hontiveros paid him ₱1 million to lie in front of the nation (Malaya Business Insight).

A Hooded Witness, a Million-Peso Twist

Back in February 2024, Maurilio showed up at a Senate hearing wearing a hoodie and dark glasses. He said he was scared. As a former member of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) and a landscaper at Quiboloy’s so-called Glory Mountain, he shared chilling stories of abuse and control. He also dropped a bomb: that he once saw former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte bringing in bags filled with firearms while visiting Quiboloy (GMA Network, Inquirer.net, Cebu Daily News).

Now, he’s walking that all back. In a June 2025 Facebook post—accompanied by a video—Maurilio claimed:

“Binayaran po ako ni Senator Risa Hontiveros para mag-testify laban kay PRRD, VP Sara at kay pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy… Ngayon po hinahanap at tinatakot ako ni Sen. Risa” (Malaya Business Insight).

According to him, not only was he bribed, but the whole thing—from his testimony to that of other witnesses—was staged by Hontiveros to take down Quiboloy and seize KOJC properties (Inquirer.net, Reshuff PH).

The video was posted on a Facebook page called “Pagtanggol Valiente,” which uses a clenched fist logo popular among Duterte supporters. It only started going viral when Bato himself shared it (Philippine Star).

Risa Fights Back

Senator Hontiveros wasted no time. She called the allegations lies—nothing more than an orchestrated move to derail the cases against Quiboloy (Malaya Business Insight).

“Sangkaterba ang ebidensiya ng aking opisina na magpapatunay na gawa-gawa lang ang pahayag ngayon ng taong iyan,” she said, insisting that all witnesses testified voluntarily and brought their own evidence.

She didn’t stop there. She said there's a paper trail and corroboration from various agencies, and promised to release screenshots and videos when the time is right (Philippine Star).

What’s Real, and Who’s Spinning?

Maurilio gave very specific details in his original testimony. He talked about being forced to beg and meet daily quotas of ₱3,000. He described raising ₱1.5 million during Christmas seasons and getting physically punished if he failed. He even shared that Quiboloy himself beat him up for not doing landscaping work properly at Glory Mountain (GMA Network, Inquirer.net, Cebu Daily News).

And now, months later, that same person says it was all a show?

Add to that the fact that this “recantation” was posted on a pro-Duterte page and only gained traction when Bato shared it. The timing’s suspicious, too—it happened while the Quiboloy legal storm is still raging (Philippine Star).

And let’s talk about Bato for a second. This isn’t the first time he’s promoted something questionable. Just this June, he proudly shared a fake, AI-generated video that showed fake students protesting Sara Duterte’s impeachment. When people called him out, he shrugged and said the message still spoke truth—even if it wasn’t real (GMA Network, The Diplomat, Philippine Star).

Let that sink in.

And yet this same man, who can’t tell real from fake—or worse, doesn’t care—is now the megaphone for a major witness recantation.

It’s also worth noting that Bato has always stood by Quiboloy. He backed his senatorial run (Manila Times), showed up at prayer rallies, and dismissed the allegations against him, saying Quiboloy “can’t do those disgusting things” he’s accused of (Inquirer.net).

Loyalty over truth? That seems to be the theme here.

Witnesses in Hiding

As of now, more than half of the witnesses against Quiboloy are in the Department of Justice’s witness protection program (GMA Network). That tells you something. These are people whose lives may be in danger just for speaking out.

And here comes Maurilio, claiming it’s not Quiboloy threatening him—it’s Senator Hontiveros (Malaya Business Insight). It’s an odd pivot, considering the fear most witnesses had of the KOJC leadership.

Where We Are Now

To recap: Quiboloy is facing child abuse and human trafficking charges here in the Philippines (GMA Network), and much more serious ones in the U.S., including sex trafficking of minors and cash smuggling (NPR). He’s even on the FBI’s most wanted list.

The Senate probe—led by Hontiveros—was launched through Senate Resolution 884 to investigate large-scale sexual abuse and human trafficking inside KOJC (Philippine Star). These hearings weren’t just political theater; they were meant to assess whether our laws can protect people from abuse cloaked in religion.

So Who Do You Believe?

That’s the uncomfortable part. Both sides say they have receipts. Both sides claim to be telling the truth. But so far, neither has released full documentation (Philippine Star, Inquirer.net).

Hontiveros says she’s ready to file legal action against what she calls harassment. Maurilio’s defenders, on the other hand, say he’s just finally telling the truth (Malaya Business Insight).

But let’s not forget: this isn’t the first time someone accused Hontiveros of bribing a witness. Back in 2021, Citizens Crime Watch claimed she did the same thing during the Pharmally hearings. She denied it and said her office had email threads showing the witnesses reached out voluntarily (SunStar Manila).

Final Thoughts

The Maurilio story is messy, and that’s what makes it dangerous. If it’s true, it shakes the credibility of our institutions. If it’s false, it means we’re witnessing the deliberate sabotage of justice through online spectacle.

Until both sides show the full picture, we’re left with just noise and doubt. But one thing's clear: someone here is lying.

And they’re lying for a reason.