Ben Madilynn
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed they were armed but denied allegations of using tear gas when they stormed the 30-hectare Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Buhangin, Davao City, to serve an arrest warrant for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
During a public hearing on September 6, 2024, Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, regional director of PRO-Davao, stated that officers carried firearms as part of standard security procedures.
“We have personnel whose firearms as part of the security of the standard procedure (We had personnel with firearms as part of our standard procedure),” he said.
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa acknowledged that police could not deny carrying weapons, as photos and videos showing armed personnel inside the compound circulated online.
Torre’s statement came in response to Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who asked whether the PNP used tear gas during the operation.
Torre confirmed they were armed but reiterated that tear gas was not deployed.
“Definitely not sir because we don’t have gas masks, if we intend to use teargas we must prepare gas masks, standard operating procedure,” he said.
Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had told the media that no weapons or tear gas were used during the operation, and there were no human rights violations.
“You go to any human rights advocate, there’s nothing that we did (that violated human rights). All the police personnel who entered were not armed. Not one of them carried a gun. We did not use tear gas. We did not do anything like that. So what human rights violation?,” he told reporters in Malacañang Palace.
Despite the president’s comments, videos on social media seemed to show law enforcement using tear gas against KOJC followers blocking the gates. Some police personnel were also seen wearing full battle gear and carrying high-powered firearms.
Some 2,000 officers stormed the KOJC compound on August 24, 2024, to serve the warrant to Quiboloy. RGP
