Ben Madilynn
SENATOR Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to address the situation concerning members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) and the police officers involved in executing an arrest warrant for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
“I am appealing to you Mr. President, please listen to these people. Sana ibalik mo ang buhay ng mgataong ito sa [I hope you will return their lives to] normal not only to the KOJC members but also to your policemen. Please act on this. I hope you are listening,” Dela Rosa said during a public hearing on Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City.
He said that some policemen from other regions have been stationed at the KOJC compound for days, deprived of proper meals, sleep, and hygiene.
Dela Rosa also emphasized the importance of not being closed-minded or sacrificing everything in the pursuit of Quiboloy.
Before his appeal to the president, Dela Rosa urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to reassess their operations at the KOJC compound. He clarified that while he wants to, he cannot issue a direct order to stop the operation as he is not part of the PNP’s chain of command.
Nevertheless, Dela Rosa expressed that he has every right to offer advice for handling the situation humanely. He believes that halting the activities at the compound would help bring the lives of both KOJC members and the police back to normal.
He added that if the police have credible information that Quiboloy is in the area, they are free to proceed, but questioned why they have remained at the compound for several days without clear results.
“I just would like to remind both parties, that I would like to appeal in your senses for peace, sobriety, and cooperation. Anong cooperation ang gusto kong makita (What kind of cooperation)? Cooperation to achieve peace and sobriety. Yun lang ang gusto ko sana (That’s all I ask). And respect the human rights of everyone, members of the KOJC and members of the police force,” he said.
He further argued that the police presence is negatively affecting the KOJC community, including students who cannot continue their studies and believers who are unable to practice their faith.
“So you mean to say you are willing to sacrifice all these human rights of these people because of your firm belief that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is still there inside that bunker? Talaga bang desidido kayo na uubusin yung mga araw para lang makita siya diyan kahit na wala na kayong makita (Are you really going to spend all your days searching even when you can’t find him?),” Dela Rosa questioned.
Torre responded, “Same with the commitment earlier we would not stop until we arrest Apollo Quiboloy. We believe he is within the KOJC compound and we will look for him.”
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go also called for an end to the standoff between the KOJC members and the police, expressing concerns about the impact on Davao City residents.
“We just want peace and for this stand-off to end. Hindi po kailanman magiging susi ang karahasan sa pagkamit natin ng hustisya (Violence is never the key to achieving justice),” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla underscored the importance of upholding the separation of church and state.
He reminded the PNP to respect the fundamental rights of innocent people and to show restraint when presenting the arrest warrant to Quiboloy, referring to the dispersal of KOJC members during their rally.
Although Go credited the police for maintaining peace and order in the city, he also asked them to exercise maximum tolerance in carrying out the arrest warrant for Quiboloy.
Meanwhile, Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla said that when dealing with the situation at the KOJC compound, one must consider the separation of church and state.
“Sa usapin na ito, wala po kami dito ng pinapanigan, ang pinapanigan natin ay kung ano ang sinasabi ng Saligang Batas. Yon po ang susundin natin (In this matter, we are not taking sides. What we stand by is what the Constitution says, and that is what we will follow),” he said.
He then urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to uphold the fundamental rights of innocent individuals and to exercise restraint when serving the arrest warrant for Quiboloy. His comment referred to the dispersal of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) members who were rallying outside the compound.
KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon, in a Facebook post on September 8, claimed that the police operations inside the compound had been ongoing for 16 days, alleging that the PNP had intentions beyond simply serving the warrant to Quiboloy.
The Senate Justice and Human Rights Subcommittee held a public hearing to address the PNP’s operations at the KOJC compound. The committee is investigating allegations of civil and political rights violations involving KOJC members, students, parents, and other individuals. This includes reported digging in the basement of Jose Maria College (JMC), the use of instruments to detect Quiboloy’s heartbeat, and the Court of Appeals’ nullification of a temporary protection order previously issued by the Davao City Court.
Before the hearing, Senators Dela Rosa, Padilla, and Go conducted an ocular inspection of the KOJC compound, including the cathedral, Quiboloy’s private hangar, and the JMC basement where the alleged digging occurred. They were joined by KOJC representatives, police officers, and media personnel.
The public hearing and inspection were prompted by Dela Rosa’s privilege speech on August 27 regarding the ongoing PNP operation at the KOJC compound in Davao City.
It can be recalled that around 2,000 police officers stormed the compound on August 24 to serve an arrest warrant for Quiboloy and his four co-accused. RGP
