KOJC workers remove construction materials used to cover an alleged digging hole at the basement of the JMC Building inside the KOJC compound in Buhangin, Davao City on 6 September 2024. Found underneath the piled construction materials was an uncured concrete covering the alleged digging hole done by personnel of the PNP. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 07 September) – The diggings done by police personnel inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City became a point of contention between Police Regional Office-11 director BGen Nicolas Torre III and KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon during the Senate committee hearing on Friday.
At the hearing, Torreon repeated his earlier statement that the warrant of arrest for Quiboloy and his co-accused is not a license to turn the KOJC compound into a police garrison, and doing excavations “to find a bunker” where the fugitive self-appointed “son of God” possibly hides.
The lawyer said the police were routinely searching the cathedral at the compound and Jose Maria College (JMC) using life and motion detectors to detect heartbeat and pulses.
He also condemned the presence of civilians wearing police athlete uniforms and digging inside the JMC compound in an attempt to find Quiboloy underground.
“With this service of the warrant of arrest, then he is perpetuating injustice because an arrest warrant can never justify the digging… [and they] prevent the persons there from praying in their own cathedral, and moving around freely, and worse, destroying the buildings which were worth billions,” he said during the hearing held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod building.
Torre admitted they deployed civilians to dig pits inside the compound, but maintained it was “legal”.
He cited Section 10 of Rule 113 of the Rules of Court, which says, “An officer making a lawful arrest may orally summon as many persons as he deems necessary to assist him in effecting the arrest. Every person so summoned by an officer shall assist him in effecting the arrest when he can render such assistance without detriment to himself.”
Torre argued that this rule is an exception to the prohibition under Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code (illegal use of unforms or insignia).
He said they wanted to end the whole thing and effect the arrest that’s why they dressed the diggers as policemen so they could enter the compound without resistance from KOJC members
Torre told reporters after the eight-hour hearing that police operations in the KOJC to find and arrest Quiboloy will continue.
“Madaragdagan ang aresto, sigurado (Expect more arrests, that’s for sure)” Torre said,” adding the directive is to be implemented “not tomorrow (but) tonight.”
He said he will arrest KOJC members who would commit “obstruction of justice” and “harassment”.
He said he will ensure that they have arresting officers “round the clock, 24/7” to arrest potential violators.
“The search (for Quiboloy) will be conducted in our own terms, not theirs… We have ways to enforce that, when need arises,” he said.
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al reported at 1:21 a.m. on September 7 that the police maintained their barricades, particularly in front of the Emerald gate of the compound.
September 7 marked the 15th day of the operation to find Quiboloy and his co-accused and serve their arrest warrant for human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse.
Torre appeared before the senate committee on justice and human rights’ sub-committee on the privilege speech delivered by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on the police operations in the KOJC compound that started on August 24.
During the hearing, Torre presented videos showing KOJC members shouting, recording, and pushing the police officers.
KOJC members are doing “obstruction of justice” and “harassment,” hampering police operations, he said during the hearing attended by Senators dela Rosa, Christopher Go and Robinhood Padilla. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
