Ben Madilynn
He said the SMNI Network, KOJC’s media arm, has been an accredited reserved battalion of the Philippine Army since 2015.
Balido said the personnel of the SMNI underwent a basic military training course, which includes marksmanship training or the proper use of firearms.
He clarified, however, that there were no firearms issued to them as army reservists.
“They are called second signal battalion reserve unit. Tina-tap natin sila because of their expertise in the communications,” said Balido.
Philippine Army spokesperson Colonel Louie Dema-Ala said the reservist signal battalion consists of 540 reservists, including two Officer Reservists and 538 Enlisted Reservists.
He said around 150 to 200 reservists were based in Davao.
However, Balido said they are not aware of the reported involvement of army reservists in Quiboloy’s Angels of Death.
Earlier, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that based on the accounts of the victims, Quiboloy would tell them that they will be hunt down by the Angels of Death if they break the code of secrecy and tell anyone the sexual abuse they do to them.
It said the Angels of Death are humans who are armed and some of them were already identified.
Quiboloy and five others were facing charges for child and sexual abuse and qualified human trafficking in relation to the complaints filed by former KOJC members.
He is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Facility in Camp Crame following his surrender along with four of his co-accused on September 8, ending the 16-day police search at the KOJC compound. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
