September 6, 2024 | 10:43am
MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro has nullified the temporary protection order issued by a Davao court on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), the religious group led by fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy.
In a decision dated September 3, the Mindanao-based appellate court declared the protection order, which compelled the Philippine National Police (PNP) to remove “all forms of barricades, barriers, and blockades” around the Quiboloy-owned compound, as null and void.
A writ of amparo is a legal remedy available to individuals whose right to life, liberty, or security is threatened.
The Court of Appeals cited a Supreme Court order that instructed Davao courts to transfer all Quiboloy-related case records to the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City.
“There is no denying that the Amparo case is closely intertwined with the cases filed against Quiboloy, considering that what is at stake is the implementation of the warrants of arrest against him and his co-accused,” the court’s decision read.
“To allow the public respondent to continue hearing the case would circumvent the Supreme Court’s mandate. The public respondent should have stayed their hand in the Amparo case to prevent any semblance of bias or influence—the very evil the Supreme Court Resolution sought to prevent,” it added.
The temporary protection order was a result of a writ of amparo petition filed by KOJC and the Jose Maria Colleges Foundation Inc. on July 1.
In response to the nullification, KOJC lawyer Israelito Torreon said they plan to file a motion for reconsideration. He argued that KOJC members, as third parties, should be able to seek immediate judicial relief for violations of their constitutional rights without needing to travel to Quezon City or Pasig City.
Torreon also emphasized that the writ of amparo requires petitions to be filed in the jurisdiction where the alleged violations occurred, in this case, Davao City, where KOJC claims police violated their rights.
The Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 previously granted the protection order, stating that the barriers imposed by the Region XI police violated the “religious, academic, and proprietary rights” of the KOJC petitioners.
In a message to Philstar.com, PNP Region XI spokesperson Catherine Dela Rey welcomed the appellate court’s decision.
“That’s good news and a positive development for us because KOJC has been using the TPO to harass and obstruct the police from serving arrest warrants. At least now it’s clear to them,” Dela Rey said in Filipino.
“We are doing the right thing, and they should no longer harass or obstruct the police,” she added in Filipino.
The police have surrounded Quiboloy’s compound to implement arrest warrants related to abuse and human trafficking charges against him.
During the operation, PNP Region XI deployed 2,000 personnel to search KOJC’s 30-hectare compound.
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