EDITORIAL — Let him be judged

In a previous editorial we mentioned the possibility of the followers of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy possibly trying to violently resist the arrest of their leader the same way Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association cult members fought off policemen who came to arrest Ruben Ecleo Jr.

Thankfully, there was no such violence that happened when policemen went to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) Compound in Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, yesterday to arrest Quiboloy and five others for child abuse and other charges.

However, a crowd of his supporters and followers did initially block the policemen from serving the warrant.

“Supporters and followers of KJC were urged to remain calm and cooperate with the ongoing implementation of court processes,” Police Regional Office-11 Public Information Office chief Police Major Catherine Dela Rey said.

The KJC supporters eventually let the policemen through and a search of the compound found no trace of Quiboloy and the four others.

It’s commendable for those KJC supporters to eventually let the police through to serve the warrant. Nobody wants violence of any kind, especially between policemen only carrying out their mandate and people only defending their beliefs. Such an event will only mar the search for justice in this case and polarize people even more.

However, they should not have blocked policemen in the first place. For them Quiboloy may be a heavenly entity or even a god-like figure, but as a person who is a citizen of this republic he must be judged by the law just like any other individual who is facing accusations in court, especially something as serious as child trafficking and human trafficking.

Religious fanaticism is bad in any religion. When some people begin to believe that their religion allows them to commit certain acts that go against the law, or that their leader, albeit human, can do no wrong, or that he must be followed even if proven wrong or false, then there is something wrong.