Davao City, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) affirmed Tuesday that police operations to locate fugitive Apollo Quiboloy, leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), will persist within the group’s compound in Davao City despite a recent court order.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Davao City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15’s temporary protection order (TPO) mandates the removal of barriers blocking access to the KOJC compound but does not prohibit ongoing police activities. “What the order stated is to remove all forms of barricades, barriers or blockade that bar the access to and from the subject compound… But it did not specifically say that the police must stop the operation. This will continue and I guarantee that this operation to find Pastor Quiboloy will continue,” Abalos explained during a phone interview.
The DILG chief emphasized that the police would comply with the TPO while proceeding with their search, which he noted has already produced “positive developments.” Meanwhile, the Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting clarified that the TPO does not impact the validity of the existing arrest warrant against Quiboloy, stating, “This does not deter the service of the warrant.”
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo confirmed receipt of the TPO but mentioned that the police would file a clarificatory petition before the RTC. During a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Fajardo revealed details from a police report to the RTC that argued for the continuation of the search based on credible evidence provided by informants and detected via technical equipment, including ground penetrating radar that has detected heartbeats from within a bunker believed to be 20 to 30 meters underground.
Fajardo also urged KOJC counsels to correctly inform their members about the scope of the court order, emphasizing that it does not halt the search for Quiboloy. “Until such time we are satisfied in the search because there are informants saying that he (Quiboloy) is there, and we are really monitoring the movement that our equipment is detecting underground,” said Fajardo, indicating a prolonged police presence at the compound.