EDITORIAL — A sense of satisfaction

After a four-month long manhunt, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy has finally been found.

As of this writing, the details of how he ended up with the authorities aren’t fully out yet; while his lawyer insists he surrendered himself to spare his followers any more suffering, President Ferdinand Marcos said Quiboloy was “forced to surface” because there was really nowhere else for him to go.

There was also no official confirmation yet where this happened. If it happened inside the KOJC Compound, this would vindicate the PNP who insisted on staying in the compound to find him after getting strong indications he and others wanted with him were there. This despite criticisms they were already “overstaying”.

But whether or not he surrendered willingly or just “surfaced” because he didn’t want to be embarrassed is now no longer important. Whether or not he was found in his compound now also becomes immaterial given the fact that he is now under custody and will face the charges against him.

As we said in an earlier editorial, there is always a sense of satisfaction when ordinary people see a high-profile suspect brought to heel. Too often we see just the little guys and the small fry arrested and brought before the press, and we get that nagging feeling that only those who don’t have the means get the cuffs.

Seeing this happen is assurance that even the high and mighty, the well-connected, the kingmakers, and those deemed “untouchable” can be reached by the long arm of the law, at least to give them their day in court.

We felt this elation with the arrest of dismissed representative Arnie Teves in Timor Leste, dismissed mayor Alice Guo’s arrest in Indonesia, and now with Quiboloy’s arrest here.

Again, this isn’t to say we think that they are already guilty of the crimes they are charged with. After all, their guilt is up to the court to decide. But the entire judicial process starts with the first step of just reining them in.

With Teves, Guo, and Quiboloy now in the bag, dare we hope the next to be arrested is fugitive former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag?