MANILA, Philippines — The Davao Regional Trial Court Branch 15 yesterday issued a temporary protection order directing the Philippine National Police (PNP) 11 to “cease and desist any act that threatens the life, liberty and security” of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) members.
The court order was issued four days after 2,000 PNP personnel raided the KOJC compound to serve arrest warrants on its leader Apollo Quiboloy and five of his co-accused.
Judge Mario Duaves ordered the PNP to “remove all forms of barricades, barriers or blockades that bar the access to and from the subject compound and hinder petitioners’ religious, academic and proprietary rights.”
The Supreme Court said yesterday that a TPO does not deter the service of the arrest warrants. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos also said the police search for Quiboloy inside the KOJC compound would continue.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 chief Nicolas Torre III said the PNP would file a motion seeking clarification on the TPO. Torre maintained that the TPO is not an order for the PNP to leave the KOJC compound, a belief that KOJC lawyer Israelito Torreon challenged.
Despite the order, Torre said that the police will not leave the compound and that they will continue their search for Quiboloy, who they believe to be hiding in a bunker within the 30-hectare compound.
Torreon, for his part, said that Torre’s declarations are contrary to the letter of the order and vowed to continue to fight it out in court.
“Your overwhelming presence there threatens the sense of security of the members there who are unarmed,” he said, adding that they will file a manifestation in court tomorrow.
The Supreme Court, for its part, said the TPO issued by a Davao court in favor of the KOJC will not stop authorities from serving the arrest warrant against Quiboloy.
“This does not deter the service of the warrant,” SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting told reporters.
Manhunt continues
Police forces will continue hunting Quiboloy at the KOJC compound in Davao City even if there’s a TPO from a local court, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said yesterday.
“It will continue and I guarantee that we will still proceed with the operations to look for Pastor Quiboloy,” Abalos told reporters.
Abalos instructed their lawyers to file a petition to clarify the court’s ruling, as there was no clear order from the court to halt all police operations pursuant to serving the arrest warrants.
“We will follow but we need to clarify with the courts. The police operations and the barricade does not pose a threat to the life, liberty and security of the KOJC. And we have two warrants of arrest. We will clarify this,” he added.
According to Abalos, two courts, one in Pasig and Davao, have issued warrants of arrest against Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking and child abuse, orders which the PNP must also implement.
Col. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the PNP, said the TPO only instructed the Police Regional Office XI to remove the barricades, barriers and blockades it established.
Fajardo also clarified the court’s ruling is not a restraining order. “There is nothing there saying that we need to leave the KOJC,” she said.
To settle the issue, Fajardo said they will file a petition before the court seeking a clarification on the scope of its order, whether police officers have to stop operations to locate Quiboloy inside the compound.
The official also disclosed that they have monitored at least two heartbeats in what they believe is an underground bunker in the compound, based on signals obtained by their ground penetrating radar.
“There were two beats found there,” Fajardo said over dzBB, adding that it means there are at least two people hiding below the compound, one of whom they believe is Quiboloy.
CHR monitoring rights situation
Meanwhile, the Commis[1]sion on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday expressed concern over the reported human rights violations committed in connection with the ongoing police operation on the properties of Quiboloy.
The CHR noted reports of incidents involving members of the PNP and the KOJC, which it said may have resulted in human rights violations.
Among those it cited was reports of police officer using pepper spray on a KOJC member, Quiboloy’s supporters setting wheels on fire, throwing chairs and verbally harassing the media.
It also noted the reported rescue of alleged victims of human trafficking inside the KOJC compound.
Political parties back PNP
In Congress, major political party leaders under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas have expressed support for the PNP as it intensifies efforts to arrest Quiboloy and his associates.
The alliance is composed of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, president of LAKAS-CMD; Antonio Lagdameo Jr., executive vice president of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas; Ronaldo Puno, chairman of National Unity Party; Vicente Sotto III, president of Nationalist People’s Coalition and Yevgeny Vicente Emano, national director of Nacionalista Party.
They signed a joint statement, indicating that they “stand firmly in support of the PNP as they carry out their lawful duties.”
They underscored that the alliance is “resolute in its belief that no one is above the law.” — Emmanuel Tupas, Sheila Crisostomo, Romina Cabrera, Janvic Mateo, Daphne Galvez