Ben Madilynn
VICE President Sara Duterte believes there was an abuse of authority during the search of the 30-hectare Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City.
“That remains with the court kung dunay abuse of authority pero kung opinyon lang nako ang pangutan-on, definitely dunay abuse of authority dinha, dili na nato kinahanglan isa-isahon pa ang nakita nato na kalapasan na nabuhat para lang ma-implement ug search warrant (The issue of abuse of authority is for the court to decide. However, in my opinion, there was definitely abuse. We don’t need to detail every observed violation to justify the implementation of the search warrant),” Duterte said in a media interview on Sunday afternoon, September 1, 2024, at Roxas Avenue in Davao City.
She explained that while the court will determine if abuse of power occurred, she has concerns about the conduct of the search. When asked about KOJC’s response, she noted they plan to file multiple cases.
Duterte underscored that executing a search warrant is acceptable as long as it’s done legally. She also mentioned that although she had visited the KOJC compound multiple times, she had only been to the studio and café and was unaware of any bunkers.
“Hindi ako nakapasok kasi, isang lugar lang ang lagi kong napapasukan yung studio at yung cafe doon lang ako nakapunta. Hindi ko alam kung meron mga bunker diyan sa ilalim (I only visited the studio and café and did not enter other areas. I do not know if there are any bunkers),” she said.
The police raided the KOJC compound on August 24, 2024, to serve an arrest warrant on its leader, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. On August 27, Atty. Israelito Torreon, KOJC’s chief legal counsel, raised concerns about a drilling operation targeting the cathedral, which he believed aimed to capture Quiboloy and others.
Arnel Cruz, secretary general of the Treasure Hunters Association of the Philippines (THAPI), criticized the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their equipment and claimed that Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-Davao) director Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III was no longer actively searching for Quiboloy.
Cruz also dismissed Torre’s claims about a bunker inside the KOJC compound. However, in a press conference on August 29, the PNP denied allegations that their operation was aimed at finding gold, stating it was solely to execute the arrest warrant against Quiboloy. RGP
