Lawyer Alberto A. Bernardo, Commissioner, Vice Chairperson, and Executive Officer of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), shared his opinion on Friday that if the Philippine National Police (PNP) believes that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his four co-accused are hiding in a bunker under the grounds of KOJC compound is ponderance of the warrant of arrest.
“Yung arrest is a continuing act kung yung tao ay tumatakas, yung pagsunod sa kautusan ng arrest warrant is a continuing act also. Kaya kung naniniwala ang kapulisan na nanduon sa ilalim ng bunker eh continuing act po yun kaya mako-consider natin na yung ginagawa ng pulis is ponderance of the arrest,” Bernardo stated as his personal opinion during the public hearing of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights (Subcommittee on the Privilege Speech on the Philippine National Police (PNP) operation in the KOJC compound) led by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Friday at the session hall of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City.
Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) Director Nicolas Torre III continues to be confident that Quiboloy is hiding in the bunker claimning that they are using gadgets in their search.
During the hearing, Torre presented equipment and gadgets such as life and motion detectors, ground penetrating radar, and borescope in their search activities inside the compound.
“Kaya kung gagamit ng gadget ng LLNB yun ho ang magtutukoy para gumawa ng paghuhukay at pagtukoy doon sa tao. Continuing act po kasi kaya hindi po static yun na yung arrest pag makita mo yung tao. Kaya kung yung gadget naniniwala sila na nasa kabilang kuwarto, ginamit po natin ito sa Marawi. Alam natin na nasa kuwarto siya, yung terrorism continuing act yun. Ganon din po rito. Kung nagtatago yung tao sa ilalim, continuing act kaya kasama yun sa pagtuon doon sa serving of the warrant,” Bernardo said.
Bernardo said this is the same strategy used to detect life in the earthquake in Baguio City in 1990.
“Kung meron pang hudyat na mare-rescue sa ilalim, dapat patuloy yun at ganon din po sa pag-aresto. Kung sakaling wala nang ma detect na merong buhay sa ilalim eh dapat itigil na rin,” he said.
He also said this can be based also on what is being used in the rescue equipment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
