House arrest for Quiboloy? PNP, DOJ to discuss next move

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to have a meeting with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday to discuss “the next move” after Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's camp said it would seek to put him under the custody of the military or under house arrest.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo explained that it is the DOJ which should file a comment or objection on the planned petition of Quiboloy’s camp.

“Ang nag-file ng kaso dito ay DOJ so kung meron mang magfa-file ng comment or objection it should be the DOJ, kasi naisampa na po ang kaso. Ang naging papel ng PNP po dito, ang CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) po ang nag-serve ng warrant,” she said.

(It was the DOJ which filed the cases so it should be the DOJ which should file the comment or objection, because the case has already been filed. The only role of the PNP here is that the CIDG served the warrant.)

“Sa lahat po ng proseso po dito ay kailangan po natin ang DOJ po. Ngayong araw na po ito ay magme-meeting po ang PNP at DOJ to discuss what will be the next move,” she added.

(In all the processes here, we need the DOJ. Today, the PNP and DOJ will have a meeting to discuss what will be the next move.)

Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) legal counsel Atty. Israelito Torreon said on Monday that they will file a petition seeking to put Quiboloy under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or under house arrest.

“We will file the motion for the transfer of his custody to the AFP citing among other grounds security reasons and we are hoping that the court would grant the same, at the very least house arrest knowing that he is already 74 years old, he has health condition,” Torreon said.

However, the Department of National Defense (DND) does not welcome the idea of having Quiboloy under military custody. 

"The Department of National Defense will oppose any motion to have Pastor Quiboloy transferred to AFP custody. AFP facilities are subject to strict operational security protocols, thus, the AFP is not the proper agency to have custody of suspects in criminal cases," the DND said in a statement. 

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 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. —KBK, GMA Integrated News