Bato: Guo arrest makes public think of PNP's inefficiency in serving warrant vs. Quiboloy

The Philippine National Police's (PNP) ongoing implementation of the arrest warrant against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy make some Filipinos think of the local police's inefficiency in light of Indonesian police's arrest of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said Friday.

Dela Rosa issued his remark as he led the Senate justice and human rights subcommittee's inquiry on the PNP operations at the KOJC compound in Davao City.

"Isipin niyo, halos dalawang linggo na silang nagbarricade.Nakapag-detect na sila ng heartbeat sa ilalim ng lupa. Nag-implementa pa ng ‘whole of government approach’ noong naghukay sila sa basement ng school campus. Ngunit, hindi pa rin naging successful ang implementasyon ng warrant of arrest. Hindi pa rin makita ang dapat makita," Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, said.

[Imagine, the police have set up a barricade for almost two weeks. They have detected heartbeat underground. They have implemented a while government approach when they started digging at the school campus. Yet, the implementation of a warrant of arrest remains unsuccessful. They have yet to find who they're looking for.]

"Sa paningin tuloy ng mga tao, mukhang may kakulangan sa ating mga pulis. Lalo pa na laman ng balita ngayon kung paano nahuli kaagad ng Indonesian National Police ang mga taong pinaghahanap ng ating gobyerno," he added.

[So the public may think there's something lacking in our police ... especially how the Indonesian National Police arrested personalities wanted by the government.]

Dela Rosa did not specifically mention Guo but it can be recalled that the former mayor was nabbed in Indonesia last Wednesdat or more than two weeks since it was disclosed that she already left the Philippines.

"I wonder if high confidence can compensate for low returns and low morale, especially if the latter two come allegedly at the expense of our most fundamental human rights," Dela Rosa said.

Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa/File

'Siege'

The Senate subcommittee, chaired by Dela Rosa, conducted an ocular inspection of the KOJC compound earlier Friday. This was followed by a public hearing held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City.

The inquiry stemmed from Dela Rosa's privilege speech where he called for the withdrawal of around 2,000 policemen deployed at the KOJC compound to serve arrest warrants against Quiboloy.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte attended the Senate hearing where he said that the PNP arrest operation against Quiboloy "has turned into a siege."

"[The] PNP personnel have been occupying the said private property without proper authority, raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of the operation," Duterte said.

"Are these operations being done by the PNP still within the bounds of the law? Are the rights of the Filipinos being respected and protected? These are questions that demand answers," he went on.

Duterte said they respect the implementation of any warrant as long as it is within the law and does not trample on the constitutional rights of others.

"It is our firm belief that the pursuit of justice must never come at the expense of fairness and due process," the mayor said.

Police continue to search for Quiboloy and his co-accused as the serving of arrest warrant enters its 14th day today, September 6.

The Philippine National Police believes Quiboloy is still inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City.

However, KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon maintained Tuesday that Quiboloy was not inside the KOJC compound.

Arrest warrants were issued 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 has 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.

Quiboloy's camp has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News