Former president Rodrigo Duterte will not let this pass.
On Thursday, Duterte vowed to take legal action against the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in connection with the implementation of the warrants of arrest against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and five others on Monday.
Duterte, who was appointed by Quiboloy as administrator of KOJC’s properties, said in a statement that while he was saddened to do this given his personal, and in the past official, support for the police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), his duties as administrator of church properties demand that he take legal and appropriate action.
In line with this, he has ordered not only the preparation of affidavits of all members aggrieved and traumatized by the said unfortunate incident but also an inventory of church properties destroyed as a consequence.
“It is incumbent not only upon the church but also upon officers of the law to take appropriate action considering that the said trespass was beamed by social media all over the world and thus sent the wrong signal that this country has become a police state with no respect for the law and religious institutions,” the former president said.
On Monday, heavily armed battalions of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the compounds of KOJC in Buhangin, Glory Mountain and Prayer Mountain in Tamayong, Calinan District in Davao City to serve the warrants of arrest.
The police operatives also went to QSands Baptismal Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), and Kitbog Compound in Malungon, Sarangani province.
“Except for the over-publicized arrest warrants, the raiders did not present any search warrant in all of the church properties raided by the law-enforcement agencies. This is a clear violation of the law. It was an overkill in any language. This act cannot go unpunished,” the former president said.
He added that while the damage has been done, the opportunity is there to rectify the errors brought about by the trampling of basic rights in the conduct of this illegal raid by granting the reliefs and legal remedies provided by law.
“Again, it is with a heavy heart that I am constrained to take action against all those responsible for the coordinated but illegal raid. Notwithstanding my convictions, the law must be upheld. Let this be a warning and a lesson for all those who follow and implement illegal and unlawful orders that there are grave consequences for blind obedience,” Duterte said.
Quiboloy, who is in hiding since April this year, is facing two separate arrest orders from Davao and Pasig courts.
The Department of Justice’s request to move Quiboloy’s sexual abuse case from a Davao court to Quezon City was approved by the Supreme Court.
What happened to Quiboloy is part of the pressure he experienced in the Marcos administration.
In January this year, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered an indefinite suspension of the operations of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) radio and television stations, which is owned by Quiboloy.
“Unfortunately, the obsession of this administration to demonize Pastor Quiboloy even before he could be convicted by a court of law is a clear maneuver to divert attention from the deepening crisis spawned by corruption, incompetence, and abuse of authority,” Duterte said.
