(UPDATES) THE fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy is still hiding inside the vast Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City, Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said Wednesday.
“Without compromising the operations of the police there, there is a strong indication that he is still there. In fact, we have a lot of people and equipment there to find him whether he is above ground or underground,” Abalos said in English and Filipino.
About 2,000 police officers backed by riot squads raided the KoJC compound in Davao City on Saturday to serve arrest warrants for Quiboloy, who is wanted for sexual abuse and human trafficking. Police at the scene believed he was hiding in a bunker inside the compound but have yet to find him.
Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said the temporary protection order issued by a Davao City court would not affect police operations at the KoJC compound as the issues it raised have all been addressed.
The order issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 ordered the Philippine National Police in Region 11 to “immediately cease and desist from any act or omission that threatens the life, liberty and security as well as the property of the petitioners.”
The court also ordered the police to remove all barricades, barriers or blockades that restrain KoJC members from going to or from the compound, preventing them from freely exercising their academic, religious practices and human rights.
But the DoJ pointed out that the police operations conducted to serve the arrest warrants against Quiboloy and his accomplices are within the bounds of law by virtue of a legal order from a co-equal court.
It said police allowed the KoJC members to enter or leave the compound unhampered and that the barriers or barricades surrounding the area did not prevent the flow of basic human needs for the members of the religious group but merely put in added security to help law enforcers achieve their purpose.
Abalos said that the Davao court did not order the police to leave.
“What is important is that this is a court process, and the police have been told [to] find Quiboloy. So, we will really look for him, and there are indications that show Quiboloy is in that area,” Abalos said.
He reiterated his call for Quiboloy to surrender and face the charges filed against him.
“If he is not guilty, he should face the charges and not be afraid. Just face the court,” Abalos said in Filipino and English.
Quiboloy is facing charges of sexual abuse and human trafficking before a Pasig court.
Also on Wednesday, Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon said the state could not be restrained from enforcing the law.
Gadon issued the statement in apparent reaction to an appeal for “peace, sobriety and mutual respect” by Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, who said the prolonged search being conducted by law enforcers “in a place dedicated for religious worship and for the education of the youth is alarming and troubling.”
“Let us respect the humanity of everyone and their inherent rights. Let sobriety take the upper hand in our judgment and action,” the Davao archbishop said.
But Gadon said that the only solution is for Quiboloy to surrender, face the charges, and let the judicial process occur.
He said the authorities could not be prevented from enforcing the law, or anarchy would prevail.
“The police have to enforce the warrant; they may employ reasonable force to subdue illegal resistance of supporters even if it results in physical injury to those who are obstructing the enforcement of the warrant and order of the court,” Gadon, a disbarred lawyer, said.
“The state cannot be seen as lame and weak,” he added.
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