Davao court clarifies TPO does not nullify arrest warrant vs. Quiboloy

A Davao court has clarified that the temporary protection order (TPO) granted in favor of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC)  will not nullify the warrant of arrest issued against its leader Apollo Quiboloy.

“To emphasize, the issued TPO did not cancel or nullify the processes related to warrants of arrest,” the Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 said in the order posted by the One Mindanao Regional TV.

“Both serve different purposes and are not contradictory with each other,” it added.

The RTC, however, stressed that arrest warrants should be enforced in a necessary and reasonable manner. 

“Any act beyond its usual prescription must be with judicial imprimatur before it is carried out. Otherwise, the rights sought to be protected by the TPO will be put to naught,” it said.

On Tuesday, the court issued a TPO directing the Philippine National Police (PNP) to cease actions that threaten the safety and security of KOJC members as the latter attempted to serve arrest warrants against Quiboloy.

The court also ordered the PNP to “remove all forms of barricades, barriers or blockades that bar the access to and from the subject compound.”

Police officers continued to stay in the area following this, with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos saying that the TPO did not instruct them to stop the police operation.

This prompted the KOJC to ask the Davao court to issue a show-cause order against some officials earlier today.

The Department of Justice has said that the TPO is already moot and academic as the issues underscored have been addressed.

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) also previously said that the TPO will not be an obstacle in the serving of the warrant of arrest as well as the rescue of trafficking victims, if there are any.

Quiboloy is facing charges under Section 5(b) and  Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.

He is also facing a non-bailable qualified human trafficking charge under Section 4(a) of Republic Act No. 9208, as amended, before a Pasig court. —LDF, GMA Integrated News