TAMAYONG, Davao City (MindaNews / 08 May) – The black Bell 429 Global Ranger helicopter of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy circled several times over his Glory Mountain and Prayer Mountain shortly before noon on Tuesday, May 7 but whether or not the fugitive was on board could not be ascertained by MindaNews.
Quiboloy has evaded arrest despite being hounded by three warrants of arrest: from the Senate on March 19, a court in Davao City on April 1 and a court in Pasig on April 11 for various crimes, including alleged human trafficking, child abuse, sexual abuse.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have yet to find him but they claim he is still in the country.
PNP Region 11 spokesperson Major Catherine dela Rey told MindaNews on Wednesday, May 8, that manhunt operations are still “ongoing.” NBI regional director Arcelito Albao has yet to reply to queries sent by MindaNews.
On May 3, the NBI went to Quiboloy’s Prayer Mountain and Glory Mountain but no arrest was done as they could not find him in either.
Weeks earlier, on April 10, the Office of the Senate’s Sergeant at Arms accompanied by the NBI and PNP went to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound beside the Davao International Airport, his vacation house on Samal Island and his Prayer Mountain and Glory Mountain, to serve the warrants on Quiboloy but he was not around.
They have searched for him by land and by sea but are authorities monitoring the movement of Quiboloy’s air assets? Quiboloy owns a Bell 429 helicopter and a private jet.
Tracking down the May 7 flight path of Quiboloy’s helicopter, RPC8488, using the Flightradar app, MindaNews found that it took off from the Apollo Air hangar in the KOJC compound beside the airport, at 10:20 a.m. and was back at 11:15 a.m.
The helicopter flew over to Tamayong, where it circled several times over the Glory Mountain as that was where MindaNews saw it at around 10:40 a.m., hovering and circling, even flying at low altitude apparently to figure out what our vehicle was doing on that concrete road that ends at the gate of Glory Mountain.
After circling over Glory Mountain, the helicopter proceeded to the Prayer Mountain also in Tamayong, circled it once then flew to somewhere in Tigatto / Mandug area where it landed at 11:08 a.m. The helicopter took off at a time not indicated and landed at the KOJC compound at 11:15 a.m.
While already a subject of manhunt and his whereabouts unknown, Quiboloy’s helicopter was monitored by Flightradar to have flown on April 4, May 1 and May 4.
Quiboloy’s ‘mountains’ – destinations for KOJC pilgrims and tourists and a favorite backdrop for many social media posts because of their colorful gardens and houses — are located in this barangay where his influence as friend and spiritual adviser of Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the mayor of 22 years here, the Philippine President for six years (2016 to 2022) and ex-President for 23 months, is evident. There is a school renamed after his father – the Jose T. Quiboloy Sr. National High School. Formerly called Tamayong National High School, it is located some 200 meters from the main road, the entire stretch made of concrete. The concrete road, however, ends at the end of the school’s perimeter fence.
The road to Glory Mountain is a long stretch, past a field of pineapples, tomatoes and bananas, past the Prayer Mountain. Located 18 kilometers from downtown Calinan, it has a long stretch of concrete road that ends at the doorstep of the “appointed Son of God,” at the tall, green steel gate.
The Prayer Mountain is located 10.5 kilometers from downtown Calinan or 38.5 km from City Hall. Next to it, one can find the signage leading to the Quiboloy school. The Glory Mountain is another 7.5 kilometers from Prayer Mountain and from City Hall is about 46 kilometers.
Duterte on Quiboloy’s whereabouts
Duterte, who was appointed in March as administrator of the properties of the KOJC, told a press conference on April 11 that Quiboloy was in his Prayer Mountain in Tamayong.
He said if Quiboloy thinks he will not get a fair deal under the Marcos administration, “eh wag kang lumabas dyan sa Tamayong. Nandyan lang yan sa Tamayong. Malaki lang ang Tamayong.” (don’t leave Tamayong. He is just in Tamayong. Tamayong is huge).
Duterte also said there are so many houses at the Prayer Mountain and there will be chasing around for which house Quiboloy is in. “By the time na natapos na, napagod ka na, you will become a member of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ,” he said. The crowd of reporters laughed.
No entry
At the Prayer Mountain, a message on white tarpaulin posted near the entrance notifies the public that “The Villages or Prayer Mountain Park is not open for public viewing at this moment.”
“The public is further notified that ‘The Villages’ have not commissioned anybody to post advertisement in online social media (Facebook / Instagram and Twitter) that The Villages is open for public viewing daily,” the message reads.
One of those deployed at the gate says they do not know when it will be reopened. Visitors are allowed to take photographs of the landscaped area by the roadside “pero kadali lang ha” (but do it quickly).
There was no public notice outside the gated Glory Mountain. But from a small opening at the gate, one could see workers constructing a structure close to the gate. An outpost tower?
From inside the compound, the person who approached the gate said they do not know when it would open to the public.
A few minutes after MindaNews left the Glory Mountain’s gate, three truckloads of construction materials were seen heading there. A police patrol car headed towards the same direction.
Busy helicopter
According to Flightradar app, Quiboloy’s helicopter was very busy on May 4. It took off from the Apollo Air hangar at the KOJC compound beside the airport at 10:18 a.m. and landed at 10:47 a.m. in Malungon, Sarangani; took off from there at 10:47 a.m. and landed at 11:27 a.m. at the Prayer Mountain; took off again at 12:14 p.m. and landed at 12:25 p.m. at the KOJC compound.
On May 1, Quiboloy’s helicopter took off at 10:20 a.m. from the KOJC, and did what it did on May 7 – circle Glory Mountain several times, pass by Prayer Mountain, hovered the area and landed at 11:21 a.m. at the KOJC compound.
Before May 1, the helicopter flew once, on April 4, within Samal Island.
Warrants
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality has been investigating, in aid of legislation, “reported cases of large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) under its leader Apollo Quiboloy.”
The Committee cited Quiboloy for contempt on March 5 for failing to attend the hearings called for by the Committee.
On March 19, the Senate issued a warrant of arrest against Quiboloy for “unduly refusing to appear, despite due notices” at the hearings of the Senate Committee.
On April 1, Judge Dante Baguio of the Regional Trial Court Branch 12 in Davao City ordered the arrest of Quiboloy and five others — Jackielyn W. Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemañes — for violation of Section 10(a), or other acts of child abuse under Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”
All five co-accused surrendered to authorities on April 3 and were freed after posting bail of P80,000 each.
On April 11, acting Pasig RTC Branch 159 Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa, issued a warrant of arrest against Qubioloy for qualified human trafficking, which is non-bailable.
On April 26,the Philippine National Police revoked Quiboloy’s license to own and possess firearms and the registration of 19 firearms under his name.
On May 2, Quiboloy’s camp surrendered five of the 19 firearms in Davao City. The regional PNP, however, announced the surrender six days later, on May 8. (see other story)
Quiboloy has been on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “wanted list” since February 2022 for alleged conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion; sex trafficking of children, conspiracy and cash smuggling. (Carolyn O. Arguillas with a report from Manman Dejeto / MindaNews)
