BJMP: Payatas jail ready for Quiboloy

MANILA, Philippines — A detention cell has been prepared for pastor Apollo Quiboloy in case the court orders his transfer to the Quezon City Jail-Payatas, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said yesterday.

In a message to The STAR, spokesman Chief Inspector Jayrex Bustinera said no special treatment would be given to Quiboloy once he is detained at the Quezon City jail.

“The BJMP has a policy on no VIP treatment, and the chief BJMP, Jail Director Ruel Rivera, reminded and warned the warden and personnel of the jail against special treatment of any persons deprived of liberty (PDL). The BJMP also has a female dormitory once the co-accused of Quiboloy will also be transferred under the supervision of the QC jail,” Bustinera said.

“All PDL in Quezon City jails, both male and female, are housed in the same type of cells. He (Quiboloy) will be housed and treated like an ordinary PDL,” Bustinera added.

The Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader and his four co-accused will remain at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center despite an order for their transfer to other detention facilities in Quezon City.

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 106, in a commitment order dated Sept. 9, directed the PNP to transfer Quiboloy and one of his co-accused, Cresente Canada, to the New Quezon City Jail in Barangay Bagong Silangan and the other three – Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemanes – to the Quezon City Jail Female Dormitory at Camp Karingal.

The court in Quezon City is in charge of the bailable child abuse raps against Quiboloy, which were transferred from a Davao City court. Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said they also received an order from the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 159 for the continuous detention of Quiboloy and his co-accused at the PNP detention facility for high-risk persons.

Quiboloy and the others are facing non-bailable cases of qualified human trafficking before the Pasig court.

Fajardo said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group will formally inform the Quezon City court of the Pasig RTC instruction to the PNP to keep its custody of Quiboloy and the others.

While the Quezon City court would make do with a video conferencing arraignment, the Pasig RTC wanted the pastor’s physical presence when he answers the charges.

Meanwhile, Quiboloy’s legal team filed a petition before the Pasig and Quezon City regional trial courts, asking that Quiboloy and his four co-accused be transferred to the Intelligence Service-Armed Forces of the Philippines detention cell at Camp Aguinaldo.

The Department of National Defense has issued a statement opposing AFP custody of Quiboloy.