The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) vowed to continue to pursue all legal remedies to protect the constitutional rights of its founder, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, KOJC leaders and
members.
This came after the serving of the warrant of arrest against Quiboloy and five others on Monday that was claimed by KOJC as “laden with irregularities, excessive and overkill.”
Early Monday morning, officials from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and hundreds of law enforcers from various special units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) simultaneously raided four properties of the KOJC, to serve the warrants of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 159 of Pasig City against Quiboloy and other leaders of the KOJC.
The raids were simultaneously conducted at the KOJC compound in Buhangin, Davao City; the Prayer Mountain; and the Glory Mountain in Barangay Tamayong, Davao City as well as the KOJC’s property in Kitbog, Sarangani Province.
“We strongly condemn the manner of implementing the arrest warrants in so far as they were not only laden with irregularities, but they were excessive and overkill. The PNP deployed special battalions who were in full battle gear, some CIDG officials were even seen wearing bulletproof vests, and hundreds of police personnel in anti-riot gear and shields strategically positioned themselves at the KOJC compound,” KOJC said in a statement.
It said that at the KOJC Central compound, at least three were injured in the short melee that transpired when fully armed policemen tried to scale the gate of the compound.
“Helicopters were roving around the compound. The police arrival was unannounced, and we were caught by surprise as the police officers had already visited the KOJC Central several times before this morning’s incident. Thus, when the police officers used make-shift stairs in trying to climb the walls of the KOJC compound, the members were alarmed,” it said.
KOJC claimed that tension ensued and three members were mauled in the commotion.
It said that at the Glory Mountain, the main gate was smashed or destroyed when the police forcibly entered the property.
KOJC claimed that nine members of the KOJC were arrested/handcuffed by the police for the reason that they were allegedly carrying bolos during the raid.
It said that the members are already preparing a formal complaint against the police officers concerned.
Moreover, KOJC said the implementation of the warrants of arrest is also questionable in as much as the CIDG has already filed their Returns of Warrant of Arrest as early as May 14, 2024, before the RTC Branch 159 of Pasig City.
“Thus, in so far as the KOJC leaders are concerned, the warrants have already been implemented. Even assuming without conceding that the arrest warrants had not yet been served, the implementation of the arrest warrants was unjust and excessive,” it said.
“More importantly, an arrest warrant is not a search warrant. Even if searches incident to a lawful arrest, the arrest must precede the search; generally, the process cannot be reversed. Thus, we strongly condemn the highly irregular implementation of the warrants of arrest and the arbitrary and oppressive use of force and violence in enforcing the same,” it also said.
