PNP: Police ops vs Quiboloy is proper, search at KOJC compound continues

The operation to serve an arrest warrant over the weekend against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City is proper and in accordance with protocol, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

This was the reaction of the PNP to statements issued by Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, that police abused its power in the conduct of the operation.

"Ito lang ang masasabi lang natin dito, Ma'm Susan, ay ang PNP po ay sinunod naman po 'yung mga legal protocol at pati 'yung ating police operational procedure pagdating nga po sa implementation ng warrant of arrest against kay Pastor Quiboloy at apat pa," PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in an interview on Unang Balita.

(This is what we can say, Ma'm Susan. The PNP followed legal protocol and our police operational procedure in the implementation of the arrest warrant against Pastor Quiboloy and four others.)

However, tensions arose as KOJC members held a rally while police are doing their job, she added.

"Subalit nakita naman po siguro natin sa mga lumalabas na video footage ngayon at meron din naman pong mga na-record sa ating mga body-worn cameras kung sino po ba talaga ang nag-iinstigate ng gulo," she added.

(But we can see in video footage circulating and in video recorded by our body-worn cameras who really instigated trouble.)

The PNP will continue to observe maximum tolerance, Fajardo said.

"But just the same talagang maximum tolerance po talaga ang ipinapatupad ng PNP at ito ay susundin natin at hanggang matapos po itong proseso po na ito," she said.

(But just the same, the PNP is really observing maximum tolerance and we will do so until the process is over.)

During the rally of KOJC members, five policemen got hurt when protesters bearing "pamalo" lunged at cops securing the gate of the KOJC compound, according to a report by King Pandia of Super Radyo Davao on Dobol B TV on Monday, citing information from Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) spokesperson Police Major Catherine dela Rey.

The rallyists also blocked the gate of the Davao International Airport.

On Monday morning, KOJC members are continuing their prayer rally, with their heavy equipment and private vehicles blocking part of Carlos P. Garcia National Highway. Authorities advised motorists to use alternate routes.

Police trooped to the KOJC compound in Buhangin, Davao City before dawn on Saturday to serve the arrest warrant against Quiboloy and four other co-accused in connection with the charges of child and sexual abuse and human trafficking filed against them.

One KOJC member died due to heart attack while 16 other KOJC members filed a complaint following injuries allegedly sustained when police used tear gas on them. PRO 11 regional director Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said however that they did not use tear gas. Instead, KOJC members used a fire extinguisher and a backhoe against police, he said, resulting in injuries to some of his men.

Search continues; heartbeat detected

Police will continue searching for Quiboloy and his co-accused and no deadline has been set, Fajardo said.

"Wala po tayong binibigay na target po dito o deadline sa ginagawa nating paghahanap kay Quiboloy at iba pa," she said.

(We did not give a target or deadline in our search for Quiboloy and the others.)

Quiboloy is still inside the KOJC compound, the PNP official added.

"But sabi nga ng ating Chief PNP kahapon ay naniniwala tayo na nandiyan ang hinahanap nating mga tao dahil may mga impormante tayo mismo diyan sa loob," Fajardo said.

(But as our Chief PNP said yesterday, we believe that the persons we are looking for are inside [the compound] because we have informants inside.)

Police are combing through the huge KOJC compound which is more than 30 hectares in size.

"Napakalaki. We are talking about more than 30 hectares na lugar dito. May mga building, may mga secret room and passages. So talagang napakahirap," Fajardo said.

(The area is very big. We are talking about more than 30 hectares. There are buildings, secret rooms and passages. So it is really hard [to search].)

She added that police are using special equipment to detect body heat, and so far have detected "possible heartbeat".

"Kagabi hanggang madaling araw, Ma'm Susan, may ginamit na nga tayo na mga special equipment para maka-detect tayo ng heat map. At nakikita natin meron tayong natutuklasan na mga possible heartbeat ng nasa ilalim mismo ng isang kongkretong lugar," she said.

(Last night until the wee hours of this morning, Ma'm Susan, we used special equipment to detect heat map. And we detected possible heartbeat coming from under a concrete area.)

"At hinahanap natin kung nasaan ang entrance nitong malaking bloke na doon sa baba na meron tayong nakikita at may mga na-trace tayo na heat index na posibleng nanggagaling sa isang buhay na bagay o na tao. At talagang merong heartbeat tayong nade-detect," Fajardo added.

(And we are searching for the entrance of this big block where we traced the heat index coming from underneath it. It may possibly be coming from a living thing or person. We really detected heartbeat.)

Fajardo also confirmed that police discovered rooms with girls' names. However, the full report about it is not yet in.

"Well, kasama po 'yan sa mga natutuklasan natin habang patuloy po tayong naghahanap po sa mga tao po. At sa ngayon po ay 'yung kumpletong report po ay hindi pa po natin hawak," she said.

(Well, those are among those discovered by police in the conduct of the search. For now, we do not have the complete report yet.)

2 rescued

Police on Sunday rescued two alleged human trafficking victims at the KOJC compound.

"Nasa kustodiya po sila ng DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development] pagkatapos po natin silang ma-rescue kahapon ng hapon at nag-a-undergo sila ng debriefing at counseling po sa pangunguna po 'yan ng DSWD," Fajardo said.

(They are under the custody of the DSWD after we rescued them yesterday. They are undergoing debriefing and counseling being conducted by the DSWD.) —KG, GMA Integrated News