DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 August) – Police already have the alias warrant against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and five aides for human trafficking and other cases, Major Catherine dela Rey, Police Regional Office-Region 11 spokesperson said.
”We already have the alias warrant. Naa jud tay (We really have) implementation of the warrant of arrest, but as to the timeline, wala tayo (we have none),” dela Rey said in a press conference at Royal Mandaya Hotel, Wednesday morning.
An alias warrant of arrest is issued when the original warrant has not been executed, usually because the suspect could not be located.
On June 10, police personnel and other security forces tried to capture Quiboloy and his co-accused in his various properties such as the KOJC compound, Tamayong in Barangay Calinan, and his property in the Island Garden City of Samal but failed.
During the Senate hearing Tuesday on the alleged use of excessive force during the operation at the KOJC compound on June 10, PRO-11 regional director BGen Nicolas Torre III confirmed that the Pasig City Regional Trial Court has issued an alias warrant of arrest against Quiboloy in connection with a human trafficking case.
Torre even let Senator Ronald ”Bato” dela Rosa, who chaired the hearing, read the alias warrant of arrest.
Torre cited that the court order said Quiboloy and his aides may be served the warrant ”elsewhere”.
Torre mentioned the alias warrant after KOJC pastor Carlo Catill directly asked him when they will go back to the KOJC compound to try to arrest Quiboloy.
Catill sarcastically said they would even prepare a ”red carpet” for them.
The RTC – Branch 12 in Davao City issued a warrant of arrest against Quiboloy and his aides last April 3 while the RTC in Pasig City ordered their arrest on April 11 for child abuse and qualified human trafficking charges, respectively.
Police arrested Paulene Canada, one of the co-accused, around 1 p.m. last July 11 at her residence in Emily Homes Subdivision in Barangay Cabantian here, through tips received from informants, and was flown to Manila the next day.
Quiboloy and the other co-accused – Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Ingrid Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes – are still at large.
Meanwhile, in the same hearing, dela Rosa expressed concerns about police personnel being stationed near the KOJC compound, saying this has created a growing negative perception among local residents.
He said he found it “concerning and intimidating” that police officers were wearing face masks even if COVID-19 no longer poses a threat.
“Baka kung hindi natin ayusin to, baka magrebelde ang mga Dabawenyo laban sa gobyerno, laban sa police ng Davao City (If we won’t fix this, Dabawenyos light rebel against the government, against the police of Davao City),” dela Rosa, who spoke “as a Davao resident,” said.
The senator specifically called out Davao City police director Colonel Hansel Marantan for focusing on arresting Quiboloy, which he believes is “damaging community-police relations.”
“Kayo, Colonel Marantan, you are trying to arrest one or other individuals co-accused with Pastor Quiboloy, siya lang hinahanap niyo ‘di’ba? (You, Colonel Marantan, you are trying to arrest one or other individuals co-accused with Pastor Quiboloy, you are only looking for him, right?) But in doing so, you are alienating yourself in the community,” he said.
Dela Rosa clarified that as a Davao resident he is not against checkpoints near the KOJC compound.
“You can put checkpoints anytime you want, anywhere you want. But do it that you are not antagonizing the community,” he said.
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos assured that the matter would be discussed with relevant police authorities such as PRO-11 and Davao City Police Office to improve the situation.
Also during the hearing, Torre assured that those who were assigned near KOJC compound had removed their face masks.
KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon said the masks made them feel harassed by the police presence.
He also pointed out that there were police officers jogging outside the compound.
Dela Rey said the jogging around the KOJC compound was just part of a “graduation run” for police trainees.
She said the run only passed by the KOJC compound, so KOJC members should neither be intimidated nor take it negatively.
She added Torre was there “to boost the morale” of the cadets.
Torre said during the PRO-11’s flag ceremony at Camp Sgt Quentin Merecido at Buhangin that he was one of the police officers who participated in the graduation run. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
