VP Sara believes Quiboloy no longer in Davao City

Vice President Sara Duterte said that the controversial leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church Apollo Quiboloy may no longer be in Davao City even as authorities continued their manhunt to serve an arrest warrant against him.

According to a report by GMA Regional TV’s Rgil Relator in “24 Oras” on Monday, the Vice President was present on Sunday at the anniversary of the KOJC.

“Mahaba ‘yung panahon na pwede siyang umalis na sa Davao City,” said Duterte.

(He's had enough time to get out of Davao City.)

“Napakataas ‘yung time na pwede niyang pag-isipan na aalis na ba ako o hindi. At isa din ‘yun sa mga dapat pag-isipan din ng administrasyon, dahil sa mahabang-habang grand standing sa committee hearing, hindi na tuloy nakuha si Pastor Apollo Quiboloy,” she added.

(He has had so much time to decide whether or not to leave. That should have been considered by the administration. Because of the prolonged grandstanding at the committee hearing, they were not able to capture Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.)

When asked where Quiboloy could be, she replied: “Ako, kung one guess kung nasaan si Pastor Quiboloy, nasa langit.”

(If I could guess where Pastor Quiboloy is, I think he is now in heaven.)

The Vice President said that it would be better to immediately serve the arrest warrant because the image of Davao City has already been tainted.

“Hindi dapat ginagawang excuse na malaki ‘yuong lugar. Sa sobrang dami ng mga pulis na nandiyan sa loob at sa sobrang dami ng pulis na pinadala para mag-execute ng warrant of arrest, magtataka ka, nine days na hanggang ngayon, hindi pa sila tapos sa pag-implement ng warrant of arrest nila,” said Duterte.

(The large size of the compound should not be an excuse. With all the police officers sent to execute the arrest warrant, they had yet to serve the warrant after nine days.)

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office 11 said law enforcers needed to follow operational procedures.

“‘Yung ginagawa natin na implementation ng warrant of arrest sa loob ng KOJC compound ay within the bounds of the law and we follow the police operational procedures. Yung sinasabi na bakit matagal, tingnan niyo naman ang complexities ng KOJC compound,” said PRO 11 spokesperson Police Major Catherine dela Rey.

(The implementation of the warrant of arrest within the KOJC compound is within the bounds of the law and we follow the police operational procedures. Why is it taking time? Just look at the complexity of the KOJC compound.)

Meanwhile, tensions rose again between the police and the members of KOJC on Monday morning as the former called for the opening of the Emerald Gate of the church compound.

The KOJC members were worried that the police might plant contraband as there was no scanner at the said gate.

But the police denied the claims of the church members.

“May scanner o wala, wala kaming ipapasok na gamit to plant as evidence. Kung may ipapasok man kami na mga gamit ito ay in aid sa ginagawa namin pag search kay Quiboloy,” said dela Rey.

(Whether there is a scanner or not, we will not plant evidence. If we bring in some things it is to aid our search for Quiboloy.)

For his part, KOJC’s legal counsel Israelito Torreon said the police arrested one of the church members and they also attempted to apprehend one of their lawyers after they opened the gate.

Torreon also alleged that the police brought some cartons to the Jose Maria College basement where they don’t have access.

Arrest warrants were issued by Davao and Pasig courts against Quiboloy and others for alleged violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act as well as qualified human trafficking.

Quiboloy went into hiding shortly after the Senate issued an arrest order against him for refusing to attend the chamber's hearings.

He had also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Central District of California for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/DVM, GMA Integrated News