PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday told fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), to submit the conditions for his surrender to the courts where child abuse and human trafficking charges have been filed.
The President, in a media interview during his aerial inspection of areas hit by tropical storm “Enteng,” said Quibiloy does not seem to understand legal procedures.
“Kapag nag-issue ang korte ng bench warrant or warrant for arrest, it is out of our (government) hands already. It is in the courts’ hands. Kailangan ang kausap niya ang korte (Once the court issues a bench warrant or warrant for arrest, it is out of our hands already. It is in the courts’ hands. He should talk to the courts),” Marcos said.
He said the role of the executive is just to implement the arrest orders or serve the warrants of arrest issued by the courts.
“So, all of these conditions that he’s putting in are immaterial,” he added.
Quiboloy’s lawyers have said that the pastor was willing to surrender but wants the government to issue written guarantees that the “United States government would not interfere” and that the “Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the US Embassy will not meddle” in his cases in the Philippines.
He also wants the government to guarantee that he would not be extradited to the US where he is facing charges of sex trafficking.
Quiboloy was indicted in the US for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children.
In the Philippines, the religious leader is facing charges of qualified human trafficking, which is pending before a Pasig City Regional Trial Court, and child and sexual abuse before a Davao City Regional Trial Court.
The PNP had previously tried to serve the warrants for Quiboloy’s arrest at the KOJC compound in Davao City twice but failed to find the religious leader.
There is an ongoing police operation at the KOJC’s 30-hectare compound to find Quiboloy and his co-accused.
MAXIMUM TOLERANCE
Davao police regional office spokesperson Maj. Catherine Dela Rey yesterday said KOJC followers have been allowed to frisk policemen directly involved in the manhunt operations as the PNP continues to practice maximum tolerance during the search.
“What we are doing is maximum tolerance to ensure no one will be hurt,” said Dela Rey, adding that they have also allowed the religious group to dictate the number of PNP personnel who went inside the building which is now subject of police exploration.
“When we entered the building of the Bible (School), there were supposed to be 50 policewomen who will simultaneously do the search… but the KOJC members prevented us from doing (our job). They only allowed 10 policemen inside. So, we were not able to (thoroughly) search the other areas (inside the building),” she said in a television interview.
Dela Rey said police have found the supposed room of Quiboloy inside the building.
The room, she added, was surrounded by rooms supposedly used by women members of the religious group.
Dela Rey said the PNP continue to face resistance from the followers of Quiboloy, delaying the search which entered its 12th day yesterday.
“Even the police officers who went there to search were frisked by them. They (KOJC) did frisking. So, that’s the tolerance that we are observing,” she said.
Thousands of policemen swooped down at the KOJC compound last August 24 to serve arrest warrants against Quiboloy and his co-accused.
Police believe Quiboloy and the others are hiding at an underground facility inside the property. However, authorities are still locating the entrance to the facility where heartbeats were detected by ground-penetrating radars.
Dela Rey said their job would have been easier if KOJC members did not resist their actions.
“They are blocking us, preventing us from doing our job properly,” she said.
On the claim of Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, that the PNP has been conducting digging operations at the compound, Dela Rey said: “That’s the allegation of Atty. Torreon, let him prove it.”
She declined to confirm or deny the claim, adding that “it’s up to Atty. Torreon to prove it.”
Nevertheless, Dela Rey said the PNP, under the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, is allowed to break into any enclosure when effecting an arrest warrant.
“Under Section 11 of Rule 113, any police officer can break into and break out of any enclosure, especially if there is a reasonable belief that the subject of the warrant of arrest can be found on that enclosure,” said Dela Rey.
She reiterated the PNP’s belief that the accused are inside the compound.
“Today is the 12th day (of the operation at KOJC compound), there are still continuing efforts to capture Quiboloy. We are appealing to the members of KOJC and his lawyers to convince him to surrender and face the cases before the court so that he can defend himself and prove if he really innocent of the cases,” she said.
‘PREROGATIVE’
On the apology made by Vice President Sara Duterte to KOJC members for asking them to vote for Marcos during the 2022 presidential elections, the President said that is “her prerogative.”
“I still don’t understand why, but… that is her… it is her wish. Wala tayong magagawa (We cannot do anything),” Marcos said.
He said he has not communicated with the Vice President since she handed her resignation from the Cabinet in June this year. — With Victor Reyes
