Marbil says Quiboloy’s ‘high threat’ status justified simultaneous June 10 raids 

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines – Fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy posed a serious threat to law enforcers tasked to arrest him, prompting authorities to deploy more than the usual number of personnel and resources during simultaneous raids in the cities of Davao and Samal, and the province of Sarangani two months ago, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil said on Monday, August 5.

Speaking before the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, Marbil said the founder and leader of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) posed a “high threat” due to the kind of influence that Quiboloy wields and his extensive network.

The Senate committee hearing was an offshoot of a resolution pushed by Senator Robinhood Padilla calling for an investigation into the PNP’s alleged “unnecessary and excessive force” during a failed attempt to arrest Quiboloy in June.

Quiboloy and five of his associates – siblings Ingrid, Cresente, and Paulene Canada, Sylvia Cemañes, and Jackielyn Roy – were charged with child abuse and human trafficking and were ordered arrested by regional courts in Davao and Pasig. The preacher was also charged with sexual abuse of a minor in Davao.

Of the six, only Paulene, the youngest of the Canada siblings, has so far been arrested and detained for the non-bailable human trafficking case.

Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, PNP-Davao Region director, said the June 10 raids showed that there was “very strong resistance” from the KOJC.

Marbil told senators the PNP deployed the Special Action Force (SAF) to augment the raiding teams because intelligence reports indicated that Quiboloy could employ his armed civilian supporters to engage those out to arrest him and his associates.

He said Quiboloy’s pronouncement, “Hindi ako pahuhuli ng buhay” (I will not be get caught alive), in April was an “indication of defiance.”

“Fugitive Quiboloy’s blatant disregard of the law and mockery of the judicial process presented a formidable challenge to our security forces and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Marbil said.

He said the June 10 PNP operations were a “critical mission” to arrest fugitives with non-bailable offenses.

“This operation was not just a routine action. Let me be clear: this police operation was carried out with strict adherence to the PNP operational procedures. Our guiding principle was to uphold human rights while executing our duties with the highest standards of professionalism and respect for the law,” Marbil said.

According to Marbil, the raiding teams exercised self-restraint and maximum tolerance as they faced aggression from KOJC members. He said the police officers were water-cannoned and several suffered injuries due to the KOJC resistance.

A video presented by the KOJC during the committee hearing showed water cannons being used against members of the raiding team as civilians tried to prevent authorities from entering one of the religious group’s properties in Davao.

Marbil told the Senate panel that KOJC members “disgracefully chose to use women and children as human shields in their effort to obstruct and delay the lawful actions of the police.”

“Armed with bolos and other bladed weapons, male members of this group engaged in violent confrontations with police officers. As a result, six individuals and two minors were taken to the police station but were released the same day for humanitarian reasons,” he said.

Marbil said a criminal complaint for obstruction of justice was filed against the six adults.

Day of infamy?

But KOJC members, including Quiboloy’s close friend and former president Rodrigo Duterte, took turns in criticizing the PNP, accusing authorities of carrying out illegal raids and of using excessive force against members of the religious group.

In a statement read by KOJC executive secretary Eleanor Cardona during the hearing, Duterte said, “June 10, 2024 will go down as a day of infamy.”

Duterte, who now serves as KOJC’s property administrator, said the law enforcers who carried out the simultaneous raids at the group’s compounds in Davao, Samal, and Sarangani had no search warrants to show.

“This is a clear violation of the law. It was an overkill in any language. This act cannot go unpunished,” read part of Duterte’s statement.

KOJC lawyer Israelito Torreon told the committee that authorities previously tried to arrest Quiboloy and his associates in the same places, and then returned the warrant to the Pasig court days before the June 10 raids. 

Torreon also said the simultaneous raids on June 10 indicated that the police were on a “fishing expedition,” did not know where Quiboloy and his associates were, and violated rules of court.

He also cried foul against the frequent use of drones over KOJC properties, and told the Senate panel that they have reason to believe that authorities were using listening devices to spy on people closely associated with Quiboloy.

Other resource persons from the KOJC said they were being subjected to frequent harassment, and their privacy was being invaded by the police.

Meanwhile, Marbil informed senators that more than a dozen Davao policemen, including three officials, were administratively relieved from their posts over their failure to catch Quiboloy and his associates.

“As a result of an investigation, we have administratively relieved 15 PNP personnel, including three police commissioned officers and 12 police non-commissioned officers. Let me clarify, these officers were relieved not for their abuses but for their failure to arrest the fugitives of the law – Quiboloy and his co-accused,” Marbil said.

Marbil said he also directed the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service to conduct an impartial investigation to determine if any operational lapses or “excessive force” were committed during the June 10 raids. – Rappler.com