More police move to Quiboloy base

Another 100 or so police officers were deployed at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) compound in Davao City as the search for fugitive evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, wanted for sexual abuse and human trafficking, entered its sixth day.

The 100 police officers, carrying shields, added to the 2,000 police officers already inside the complex, which was searched on Saturday, August 24.

Members of the KoJC complained when the Philippine National Police (PNP) brought a blue box the size of a freezer chest to the compound, claiming that it had not been x-rayed before entering.

Anti-riot police stand in formation outside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) complex in Davao City, Davao del Sur province, about 1,500 kilometers (930 mi) south of Manila, Philippines, August 26, 2024. EPA-EFE/CERILO EBRANO

Police declined to say what was in the blue box. At the same time, the PNP brought a long-range acoustic device, or LRAD, a device that produces high-power sound for long-distance communication. It is also widely used for perimeter security and crowd control.

According to the Regional Police Office (PRO) 11, about 29 KoJC members have been charged, while about 60 police officers were injured while executing an arrest warrant for Quiboloy and his co-defendant.

Major Catherine de la Rey, spokesperson for PRO-11, said charges of obstruction of justice and direct assault have been filed against the KoJC members.

Some of them have been transferred to the Davao City Police Station jail where their bail is being processed.

She said 60 police officers were injured in the operation.

At the same time, the PNP labeled as “fake news” messages circulating on social media, originating from Quiboloy’s SMNI network. According to these messages, the PNP had warned KoJC members that their cathedral would be bombed if they did not hand over their leader to the authorities within two hours.

Quiboloy is charged with violating the Act for the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination and with human trafficking.

Also on Thursday, the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) urged Quiboloy and his co-accused KoJC members to surrender to authorities.

“Given the ongoing situation surrounding Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and co-accused members of the KoJC, we urge him to consider surrendering himself to the authorities. It is essential to recognize that no one is above the law, and peacefully confronting accusers and investigations is a fundamental principle of justice,” PCEC National Director Bishop Noel Pantoja wrote in a statement.

The church community also called on the Philippine National Police to “exercise restraint and uphold human rights during this process” and appealed to the government to act as peacemakers and “not use the issue for political gain.”

“The pursuit of justice must not be disrupted by political divisions; rather, it must promote unity and healing within our communities,” the PCEC said.

The Church also encouraged its faithful to “engage in prayer, following the example of the teachers of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.”

In addition to the charges filed in the Philippines, Quiboloy is also wanted in the United States for his “alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States.” He is also alleged to have hired female “pastors” to work as his assistants and to have sex with the pastor.

WITH ARIC JOHN SY CUA