The Philippine National Police (PNP) will continue its search for fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy within a 30-hectare compound in Davao City, despite a court order instructing them to remove barricades in the area.
Police Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba, spokesperson for Task Force Teknon Alpha, confirmed that police operatives have not been withdrawn from the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound. “Ina-acknowledge ng PNP ‘yung temporary protection order issued by the court. We would like to clarify na itong temporary protection order hindi makakapigil sa pag enforce ng warrant kay Quiboloy among others. Tuloy-tuloy ang aming trabaho,” Alba said in an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
The Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 had earlier ordered the PNP to remove barriers around the KOJC compound, stating that these restrictions were impeding the exercise of the members’ religious, academic, and property rights.
The court’s temporary protection order also directed the PNP “to immediately cease and desist from any act or omission that threatens the life, liberty, or security as well as the properties of the petitioners.”
The order follows a July petition filed by KOJC and the Jose Maria College Foundation, alleging that the actions of the PNP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government posed a threat to their life, liberty, and security.
Alba clarified that it was not the police who erected the barricades but members of the religious group themselves. “Walang obstruction sa passageway, free ‘yung ingress and egress nila,” he added.
He emphasized that the search for Quiboloy, who is wanted on charges of abuse and trafficking, will continue without interruption. “We will defend ‘yung aming desisyon when to stop. ‘Yung ultimate objective natin is to really deliver the subject of the warrant of arrest,” Alba said.
Quiboloy, a former spiritual adviser to ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, had previously rejected a summons by a Senate inquiry panel investigating allegations of abuse and trafficking of female KOJC members by him and the group’s top leadership.
Meanwhile, Atty. Antonio Pido, the national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), noted that the police could remain at the KOJC compound if they have reasonable grounds to believe that Quiboloy is still inside. He added that the duration of the search would depend on the size of the property. “For example, a 100-square-meter condominium would be easy to search. But this is 30 hectares or about 300,000 square meters and then you have structures inside. It really depends on how difficult it is to search the place,” Pido explained in Filipino.
Pido also mentioned that the KOJC leadership could file a case against the police if there is evidence of the operation being conducted in bad faith or causing irreparable injury to the property owners. “They have to prove that,” he added.
