DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 09 August) – Personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation-Region 11 failed to find fugitive pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and any of his co-accused when they searched the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City Friday afternoon.
NBI-11 regional director Arcelito Albao told reporters Friday afternoon after their search that they served the warrant in a “peaceful and orderly manner” inside the KOJC compound.
Albao, however, added they only visited “less than 50 percent” of the compound, which only includes the 50,000-square meter King Dome, its underground area, and the residential quarters.
He said they also did not find Quiboloy’s co-accused namely, Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Ingrid Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes.
The Regional Trial Court-Branch 12 in Davao City released a warrant of arrest against the suspects last April 3 while the RTC in Pasig City released its warrant on April 11 for child abuse and qualified human trafficking charges, respectively. Albao said these are the basis of visiting and finding Quiboloy and his aides inside the compound.
“Actually ‘di pa siya tapos, wala pa nga siya 50 percent, masyadong mainit sa loob… But right now, hindi pa namin siya [Quiboloy] nakita (We are not done yet, we are not yet 50 percent done, it was too humid there. Right now, we have not found Quiboloy and his aides yet),” the NBI official told reporters in an interview live streamed through the Facebook page of KOJC-owned Sonshine Media Network Inc. (SMNI) News Friday afternoon.
KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon said the Philippine National Police “must also observe on how the NBI did the search… in a peaceful manner and was conducted properly.”
“No need to show force, no need to bring Armalites, no need to bring a lot of helicopters and drones… KOJC members are always cooperative if done pursuant to the rules of court and done properly,” Torreon said.
SMNI aired a two-hour special live coverage through their Facebook page SMNI News starting around 4:00 p.m., but it was stopped after the NBI operatives were seen leaving the compound.
Police regional director BGen Nicolas Torre on Tuesday said at the sidelines of a press conference that Quiboloy is just hiding inside the compound.
He added that law enforcers find it difficult to effect the arrest orders on Quiboloy inside the compound, as his followers are “shielding” him by preventing law enforcers from entering the KOJC premises.
On Friday afternoon, MindaNews only saw parked cars outside the compound. There were no KOJC members barricading the area.
Around 6:00 p.m., however, some security guards, apparently KOJC members who were stationed near the compound, said their prayers.
The LED wall and sound systems, which displayed and depicted the KOJC prayers and call for justice for the fugitive pastor, were still functional.
Police arrested Paulene Canada around 1 p.m. last July 11 at her residence in Emily Homes Subdivision in Barangay Cabantian here, through the tips received from informants, and was flown to Manila the next day.
Torre said police conducted another operation to arrest Cresente Canada in Barangay Tamayong on Monday after he was allegedly sighted in the area but failed to arrest him.
KOJC Members designated June 10 as a “day of infamy,” pertaining to the simultaneous service of warrant at Quiboloy’s properties such as the KOJC compound, Glory Mountain in Barangay Tamayong, and his landholdings in the Island Garden City of Samal. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
