BY VICTOR REYES and WENDELL VIGILIA
THE PNP yesterday insisted fugitive pastor Apolo Quiboloy is still hiding inside the 30-hectare compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) in Davao City, which the police have been searching since August 24.
But Vice President Sara Duterte expressed the belief that Quiboloy has already left Davao City.
“Mahaba ‘yung panahon na pwede siyang umalis na sa Davao City, dahil mahaba din ‘yung grandstanding na nangyari doon sa Senate committee hearing (He had a long time to leave Davao City because there was grandstanding happening in the Senate committee hearing),” Duterte said.
“So napakataas ng time na pwede niyang pag-isipan kung aalis na ako o hindi. Isa din ‘yun sa dapat pag-isipan ng administrasyon (So he had a long time to think about leaving or not. That’s one of the things that the administration should think about),” she also said.
“Personally, I think wala na siya dito sa Pilipinas (Personally, I think he’s no longer in the Philippines,” she likewise told reporters in Davao City last Sunday when she attended KOJC’s 39th Anniversary of the Feast of the Passover.
Asked where the religious leader could be, the Vice President joked: “Ako, kung one guess kung nasaan si pastor Quiboloy, nasa langit na siya (If I’ll guess where pastor Quiboloy is, he’s already in heaven).”
Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba, the primary PNP spokesman in the continuing search for Quiboloy, said the police force respects the statement made by the Vice President.
“But the task force commander (Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III) believes the subjects of the arrest warrants are still in the area,” Alba said in a radio interview.
Alba reiterated the PNP has information that Quiboloy and his co-accused are inside the compound.
The information, he said, is complemented by data gathered using technology.
“We are focusing on the areas where, based on our information, the people we are looking for are said to be hiding,” said Alba.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame. PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the Vice President is entitled to her opinion on the whereabouts of Quiboloy.
“They are entitled to their own opinion, and we cannot take their statement hook, line and sinker,” said Fajardo, adding: “We believe Quiboloy is inside the KOJC compound based on the information given to us by our informants,” said Fajardo.
She said “the equipment and devices we are using are giving us indications that there are people” inside an underground facility.
The Vice President said has never seen any bunker or underground facility during her previous visits to the KOJC compound.
“Isang lugar lang ang lagi kong napapasukan, ‘yung studio at cafe. Doon lang ako nakapunta. Di ko alam kung merong mga bunker diyan sa ilalim (I have only been at the studio and the cafe. That’s the only place I have been. I don’t know if there’s a bunker underneath),” she said.
Fajardo said the PNP cannot just believe the pronouncements of those who are saying Quiboloy is no longer in Davao City.
“As we have said, we have information at hand, we know that he (Quiboloy) is there. No less than the ground commander is saying they have valuable information showing he is there, and this is backed up by indicators from devices and technologies,” she said.
Fajardo said policemen have already completed the search of nearly 50 percent of the more than 40 structures inside the KOJC compound.
She said the search is taking time due to the “resistance” of KOJC members. “They are not letting us in,” she said.
“The intention of the PNP is we are not going to leave the compound until such time we are satisfied until we search or inspect the entire compound,” she added.
At the same time, Fajardo and Alba reported a peaceful gathering of KOJC members on Sunday night to celebrate their 39th foundation anniversary.
“They were allowed to celebrate their anniversary, and this did not result in any untoward incident,” said Fajardo, saying that policemen halted their search while KOJC members were holding their anniversary program.
“It was very peaceful… This only validates that we respect freedom of religion,” said Alba.
POLICE ABUSE?
Duterte reiterated her claim that the police committed abuse of authority in trying to serve the arrest warrant against Quiboloy, saying it should have been quickly done given the huge number of PNP personnel deployed in the area.
“Magtataka ka, nine days na, hanggang ngayon hindi pa sila tapos sa pag-implement ng warrant of arrest nila. Dapat mabilis ‘yon kasi totoo ‘yan at tama ‘yan, naaapektuhan ang imahe ng Davao City. At naaapektuhan ang negosyo ng mga tao (You’ll wonder, it’s been nine days and until now they have not implemented the warrant of arrest. It should have been fast because if that’s true, the image of Davao City will be affected. The businesses will be affected),” she said.
Speaking before the KOJC, the staunch Quiboloy defender acknowledged that she and her family owe a lot to the religious group.
“Ang huling pagpapasalamat ay mula sa aming pamilya – ang pamilya Duterte. Napakalaki ng utang na loob namin sa inyong lahat sa pagkakataon na ibinibigay ninyo sa amin na makapaglingkod sa minamahal nating Pilipinas (The final gratitude is from our family – the Duterte family. We have a huge debt of gratitude to all of you for giving us the chance to serve our beloved Philippines),” said the Vice President.
For the second time, the Vice President apologized for asking them to support President Marcos Jr.’s presidential bid, saying she had the “mistaken belief that we were together on the platform of unity and continuity.”
“Nagkamali ako kaya hinihingi ko ang patawad ninyo (I was wrong, and I am asking for your forgiveness),” she said. “Always remember na wala man ako lagi sa mga masasayang araw ninyo, pero nandito ako lagi sa inyong kalungkutan (I may not be with you during your happy days but I’m with you during sad times). I will always be with you in your darkness,” she said.
CONDITIONS
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said Quiboloy is not in a position to set conditions for his surrender.
She made the statement after Quiboloy’s legal counsel said that his client will only surrender if the President will sign a written declaration that the fugitive religious leader will not be turned over to the US government where he also has pending cases.
Hontiveros said Quiboloy has no right to demand anything from the government.
“Ang panawagan ko ay hindi nagbabago: sumuko ka na, Quiboloy. Wala kang karapatang magbigay ng kondisyon (My stand has not changed: just give up, Quiboloy. You have no right to set conditions),” she said.
Hontiveros said Quiboloy should also stop using his followers as “human shields” each time the PNP implements warrants of arrest in his compound in Davao City.
“Tigilan mo na lahat ng ka-dramahan mo at lumabas ka na sa lungga mo (Stop all your drama and just come out of your hiding place),” she added.
Quiboloy has been the subject of warrants of arrest issued by the Senate for refusing to attend the upper chamber’s inquiries on alleged abuses he committed against his followers, and the Pasig City and Quezon City courts for qualified human trafficking charges and violation of RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination.
The Court of Appeals has issued a freeze order on Quiboloy’s bank accounts, real properties, motor vehicles, and aircraft.
Quiboloy is also wanted in the US after a federal grand jury indicted him for conspiracy to engage in sexual trafficking by force, fraud, and coercions, and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has also issued “wanted” posters for Quiboloy and two other KOJC members Teresita Tolibas Dandan, and Helen Panilag.
