PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil yesterday said the camp of wanted Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has surrendered five of the 19 firearms earlier reported to be registered under the name of the Kingdom of Jesus Crist (KOJC) leader.
Marbil said the five firearms were turned over to the Regional Civil Security Unit in Davao City last May 2 by Marlon Acobo, executive pastor of KOJC and a representative of Quiboloy.
A PNP statement said Acobo presented documents to the PNP to prove that the 14 other firearms belonging to Quiboloy “have already been sold.”
“We appreciate the effort and goodwill of Quiboloy’s camp for surrendering the firearms,” said Marbil, adding: “This act of cooperation is a positive step towards resolving legal matters.”
Marbil approved last month the recommendation of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office to revoke the firearms registration and license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) of Quiboloy covering 19 firearms after two arrest orders were issued by courts in Davao and Pasig cities.
PMP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo has said the law allows the revocation of firearms registration and LTOPF of gun holders facing capital offenses.
Quiboloy is facing child abuse charges before the Davao City regional trial court and human trafficking raps before the Pasig City regional trial court.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have also ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for refusing to cooperate in legislative proceedings.
Law enforcement agencies are still exerting efforts to locate and arrest Quiboloy, who has gone into hiding but is still believed to be in the country.
Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women and Children which is looking into allegations of various abuses against the pastor, slammed the PNP for its alleged apparent use of double standards in the revocation of Quiboloy’s firearms licenses.
In particular, she took issue on the six months given by the PNP for the religious leader to surrender his firearms, a privilege which she said is not extended to “ordinary citizens.”
In a press conference, Hontiveros said Quiboloy should have been ordered to immediately surrender his firearms upon the cancellation of his permits.
“Ang pag surrender ng mga kanselado, ng dating lisensyadong firearms, dapat kaagad yun. Once ma-deny yan or hindi na i-renew yan, isu-surrender hanggat maaga at hindi kalahating taon ang ibibigay (Surrender of [firearms with] cancelled licenses should be immediate. Once the renewal of firearms license or permit to own and possess firearms are denied, the surrender should be instant and the owner should not given half a year to do so),” she said.
Hontiveros also said the five firearms surrendered by Quiboloy’s camp is only 25 percent of the KOJC leader’s licensed guns.
“Salamat sa update… pero yung lima ay isang maliit na simula lamang sa lahat ng dapat makumpiska ng PNP (Thank you for the update but the five firearms is only part of the bigger number of firearms the PNP should confiscate),” she said.
She said the PNP should also investigate the alleged sack loads of firearms which former President Duterte reportedly delivered to Quiboloy at the latter’s Prayer Mountain in Davao City.
“Siguro naman kayang kaya sa napaka mas madaling panahon kunin yung mga firearms na yan. Binawi na ang mga registration ng mga iyon. Pero sa 19, lima pa lang na firearms. Eh doon lang sa mga social media posts ng kanyang private army, para mas marami pa sa 19 ang firearms (Maybe the PNP can confiscate those guns soonest. Their registrations have been cancelled but only five of the 19 firearms were surrendered. But if you look at the social media accounts of the members of his private army, the firearms could be more than 19),” she said.
Reacting to Hontiveros’ statement, Marbil said the PNP is committed in upholding the law without bias.
“The PNP remains resolute and committed in implementing the law regardless of who the subject of police operations is,” he said. – With Raymond Africa
