Eduardo Sapar Corda, a member of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), was sentenced to four months in prison by the Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 39 of Quezon City for leading an unauthorized assembly during a police operation to arrest Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and his co-accused for sex trafficking and sexual abuse of minors. The incident occurred in Davao City from August 24 to September 8, 2024, when KOJC members resisted authorities, leading to a violent dispersal. In a seven-page decision dated April 23, 2026, Presiding Judge Juvenal N. Bella found Corda guilty of violating Section 13(a) of Batas Pambansa Bilang 880, the Public Assembly Act of 1985, for directing the crowd with a megaphone to ignore dispersal orders and block the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway. The court noted that while KOJC had a permit for a Prayer Rally and Candle Lighting activity, the assembly exceeded authorized boundaries by barricading the highway with heavy equipment and hurling objects at authorities. The case was transferred from Davao City to Quezon City, and the decision was shared on social media by former Philippine National Police chief Nicolas Torres, who led the operation. The court emphasized that permits are limited by specified conditions and locations, and the right to assemble is subject to state regulations to prevent public inconvenience. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
