Quiboloy co-accused arrested in Davao

MANILA, Philippines — One of the five co-accused of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy was arrested in Davao City yesterday afternoon.

Paulene Canada was arrested at Emily Homes Subdivision in Barangay Buhangin at around 2 p.m., police said.

Joint teams from the Davao region police, Intelligence Group, Special Action Force and the Criminal Investigation Group were responsible for Canada’s arrest.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil are set to hold a press conference at Camp Crame this morning, although the topic was not disclosed.

Canada is among Quiboloy’s co-accused in the cases of qualified human trafficking and child abuse cases. She is also listed at the No. 6 most wanted fugitives of Police Regional Office 11, which has jurisdiction over the police forces in Davao.

A bounty of P1 million from unnamed private individuals was put up for her capture.

The four other respondents in Quiboloy’s cases are Cresente Canada, Ingrid Canada, Jackielyn Roy and Sylvia Cemanes, who each have a bounty of P1 million for their arrest.

Quiboloy, meanwhile, has a P10 million reward for any information that would lead to his arrest.

Canada was brought to the Buhangin police station for documentation.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has started receiving information from tipsters on the possible whereabouts of Quiboloy since the reward money was announced.

After the government put up a reward of P10 million for his arrest, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has started receiving information from tipsters on the possible whereabouts of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy.

Col. Jean Fajardo, the PNP’s chief publicist, said yesterday several people have started calling the hotlines at the Davao region police, claiming they have information on the location of the fugitive evangelist.

“There were calls received by the hotlines after we announced the reward, many were giving information,” Fajardo said in a Camp Crame news briefing.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday announced that certain private individuals have put up the P10-million bounty against Quiboloy, who is wanted for qualified human trafficking and child abuse cases.

A reward of P1 million each was also put up for Quiboloy’s co-accused: Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada, Jackielyn Roy and Sylvia Cemanes.

Fajardo said Davao police director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III has ordered policemen to validate the information relayed by the alleged tipsters.

She said they are not discounting the possibility that some of the callers are giving wrong information to mislead policemen hunting Quiboloy and the other suspects.

With the information they have been receiving, Fajardo said the PNP is also studying the possibility of also putting up its own reward for Quiboloy’s capture to entice more tipsters.

“The PNP is thinking about offering its own reward with respect to this case but it needs to go through the process in terms of auditing, budgetary rules and guidelines,” she said.

If he wants to prove his innocence, Fajardo renewed their call for Quiboloy to surrender and face the cases against him in court.

She said Quiboloy should also consider the plight of thousands of his supporters who are agitated due to the efforts of law enforcement authorities to arrest him.

On rumors that Quiboloy has already fled to China, Fajardo said the Bureau of Immigration said the KOJC leader has no record that he left the country.

Pastor Quiboloy has “no recent travel in our records,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

The BI explained that this does not guarantee that Quiboloy is still in the country, since the Philippines has porous borders, and he could have left the country without passing through formal ports.

Quiboloy’s legal counsel Israelito Torreon had said there were rumors circulating that the pastor might have already fled to China, but he could not confirm this information.
“I just heard,” Torreon had said.

Meanwhile, Fajardo said people should not make jokes of the issues hounding Quiboloy, as the pastor is facing cases for serious offenses.

“Let us not forget that other parties are crying for justice. There are children that were allegedly molested and were subject for trafficking,” she said.

The PNP earlier said it is studying whether to file obstruction of justice cases against former president Rodrigo Duterte, who claimed to know where Quiboloy is hiding.

Later, former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said Duterte was just joking.

Face the accusations

Meanwhile, Abalos has echoed President Marcos’ call to Quiboloy to come out and face the accusations against him.

Abalos said Quiboloy should man up and prove his innocence in court.

“If you are indeed innocent, face these allegations head-on in a court of law. Hiding behind influence or legal maneuvers does nothing to clear your name,” he said in a statement.

Marcos said that there is no issue if private citizens offer a reward for Quiboloy’s arrest to help bring the self-styled evangelist to justice.

Moreover, Abalos gave assurance that they will support the victims and ensure that justice is served.

“The accusations against Quiboloy are grave, encompassing various forms of abuse. It is imperative that we, as parents, acknowledge the courage it takes for victims to come forward,” he added.

Quiboloy is on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list for allegedly orchestrating a sex trafficking operation.

Still in the country?

According to an aviation expert, Quiboloy is still in the country, hiding by using unregistered or “colorum” single engine aircraft that may land and take-off in small private airstrips.

“They are just moving around, from one island to another using a smaller aircraft that can land and take off in a private airstrip. It’s just a bit bumpy,” according to the theory of an expert.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said they have no reports regarding “illegal aircraft movements” especially at Davao International Airport, In the city where Quiboloy resides.

All aircraft movement in airports under CAAP management are accounted for, it said. – Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos, Romina Cabrera