DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 August) – The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 here issued a temporary protection order (TPO) on Tuesday, directing police forces to “immediately cease and desist” from exercising any act that threatens the life, liberty, or security of the officers and members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
The order, penned by RTC Branch 15 Presiding Judge Mario C. Duaves, mandated the Police Regional Office – 11 (PRO-11) to remove all forms of barricades, barriers or blockades that bar the access to and from the subject compound and hinder the exercise of religious, academic, and proprietary rights of the officers and members.
Atty. Israelito Torreon, lead counsel of KOJC founder Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, posted on his Facebook account a copy of the TPO.
Torreon told reporters that the police officers have been ordered to vacate the KOJC premises.
As of 3:45 p.m., police personnel were seen going out from the KOJC compound. As of posting time, they were positioned outside the compound.
Sheriff Teresita M. Ceballos accompanied Torreon in serving the TPO to Brigadier General Nicolas Torre, PRO-11 director.
Ceballos said that the TPO would remain effective until the notice of hearing is served on the parties.
“Salamat po sa inyo, pwede na kayong umalis (Thank you all, you may now leave),” Torreon told the police authorities.
He urged them to immediately remove all barricades or blockades that hinder access to the KOJC compound.
At least 2,000 police personnel from Regions 10, 11, 12 and 13 were deployed to the KOJC compound since Saturday, August 24, in another attempt to arrest Quiboloy, who is accused of child abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. The police first raided the KOJC compound on June 10.
In a statement, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. maintained that “there is no clear directive from the Davao court ordering the police to vacate the KOJC premises or to stop the service of warrants of arrest.”
“Therefore, the PNP will continue to carry out its duty to serve the warrants of arrest against Quiboloy and his co-accused, with due respect to human rights and the legal process,” he said.
Abalos said the Department of the Interior and Local Government would seek clarification from RTC 15, considering that the police operations and barricades “do not pose a threat to life, liberty or security of KOJC members.”
He said the law enforcers are only trying to serve the arrest warrants.
“We will continue to uphold the sanctity of the justice system and the rule of law,” he said.
The issuance of the TPO was issued after the KOJC, represented by Executive Pastor Marlon Acobo, and Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. (JMCFI, Inc.) filed a petition for writ of Amparo last July 1, 2024 against Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos and the Philippine National Police (PNP), claiming that the law enforcers violated or threatened their right to life, liberty, and security.
A TPO may be granted by the court as a temporary relief upon filing of the petition or at any time before the final judgment on the issuance of writ of Amparo petition.
“The Court is not unaware of the recent incidents affecting the right to life, liberty, (and) safety of the petitioners, its officers and members. The restrictions imposed by the PNP- 11 over and within the compound of KOJC and JMCI noticeably trampled not only the property rights of the petitioners, its officers and members but also the exercise of their religious freedom and academic rights, which are guaranteed by the Constitution,” it said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
