The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is investigating alleged human rights violations in the service of a warrant of arrest against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his co-accused at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City.

In a statement, CHR assured the public that it is monitoring the situation inside and outside the KOJC compound.

Police have been searching for Quiboloy and his co-accused at the compound for more than a week, as of this writing, starting on August 24, 2024.

CHR said its investigators and lawyers from CHR-Davao (CHR-11) have already visited the KOJC members who have been detained after they were arrested during the dispersals on August 24 and 26, 2024.

The team from CHR also interviewed the alleged victims of police harassment.

CHR added that it is also assessing whether there have been any violations of the KOJC members’ right to exercise their religious freedom after the police prohibited the use of the cathedral and cordoned off the area.

“It is important to emphasize that the right to worship is a fundamental human right enshrined in both domestic and international law. Even in times of conflict, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) recognizes the need to protect places of worship from unnecessary interference and desecration. While the current situation does not constitute an armed conflict, the principles of IHL offer a valuable analogy: any actions that unduly infringe upon the religious practices of the KOJC members must be scrutinized carefully to ensure they are justified, proportionate, and necessary under the circumstances,” CHR said.

“The CHR calls on the PNP to take these considerations into account while conducting their operations within the compound, recognizing that the deprivation of access to religious sites can have profound implications on the freedom of religion and the spiritual well-being of the faithful,” it added.

CHR has reiterated its call for the police to exercise its authority within the bounds of the law and for the KOJC members not to obstruct the police in their duty to execute the warrant of arrest.

“With the police search entering its second week, we reiterate our call for all the accused to undergo due process and allow our judicial system to function. We urge Quiboloy to honor his statement that he “will face [the charges against him] anywhere, anytime in a court of law,” CHR said.