Pro-Tokhang Dela Rosa tells police, KOJC members to respect human rights

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the first Philippine National Police (PNP) chief who implemented former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, has urged the police and members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) to respect human rights.

“I would like to appeal, in your senses, for peace, sobriety, and cooperation…and respect the human rights of everyone, members of the KOJC and members of the police force, respetuhin natin (let us respect that),” Dela Rosa said during a Senate hearing on Friday, September 6.

Dela Rosa, with Senator Robinhood Padilla, went to the KOJC compound in Davao City prior to the hearing to inspect the property and gather more details on the dragging implementation of the arrest warrant against fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy.

It has been 14 days since PNP forces arrived at the compound on August 24 to implement the arrest. Dela Rosa questioned the police for taking so long to find Quiboloy.

At the hearing, KOJC lawyer Israelito Torreon accused the PNP of multiple rights violations against church members, students, and teachers. In return, the police accused members of the KOJC of causing the delay in the Quiboloy manhunt.

“Since Quiboloy is facing a warrant of arrest, I am encouraging him, if possible, to submit himself to the court, but again, it is his decision. He has all his personal reasons why he doesn’t want to surrender, I know that,” Dela Rosa said in a mix of English and Filipino

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In the same hearing, Davao Region police chief Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III confirmed that they deployed civilians dressed in police uniforms to dig a tunnel in the Jose Maria College (JMC) basement.

Citing Section 10 of Rule 113 of the Rules of Court, Torre said that officers making lawful arrests may orally summon as many persons as they deem necessary to assist them in effecting the arrest. The police chief explained that the civilians had experience in mining and were authorized to wear police uniform shirts to ensure ease of access to the KOJC compound. The digging operation, Torre said, was done because they had detected a heartbeat four meters below the JMC basement floor.

When asked if the police chief acquired any permits to conduct the excavation, Torre replied that the police did not get any permit.

“It is the way for us to break into the tunnel that we suspect Apollo Quiboloy is hiding in that’s also in relation to Section 11 [of Rule 113 of the Rules of Court], which gives the peace officer the right to break into any building or enclosure to effect the arrest,” Torre added.

Prior to the hearing, the senators, alongside representatives of Davao City’s Office of the City Building Official, discovered a freshly cemented hole in the JMC basement.

During the hearing, Dela Rosa also chastised a police officer who allegedly pepper sprayed a female KOJC member in the face. 

Police officers identified the cop as a member of the Special Action Force — an elite unit of the PNP — and clarified that while they do not tolerate this act, they understand that the officer may have been irritated because he “just woke up.”

“Porket bagong gising, gaganunin mo ang babae. Nakakahiya tayo (Just because you woke up, you shouldn’t have done that to a woman. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves),” Dela Rosa said.

The police officer was placed in restrictive custody in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, and administrative charges are expected to be filed against him. – Rappler.com