Massive hunt vs pastor begins

Members of the Police Regional Office 11 in Davao City have started conducting raids on the properties owned by Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) founder, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, amid the enforcement of the Senate’s arrest order against the religious leader.

In a press conference, PRO-11 chief, Brig. Gen. Alden Delvo, said the Senate's Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) went to Davao City to implement the chamber’s arrest order.

Delvo said the OSAA was assisted by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Davao City Police Office, and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“They will be going to the establishments owned by Pastor Quiboloy and will serve the order of arrest for contempt,” he said.

“Honestly, at this very hour, they are at some point in the establishments of Pastor Quiboloy with the assistance of the PNP,” he added.

On 19 March, the Senate officially ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for his persistent refusal to attend the Senate inquiry into his alleged human trafficking and sexual abuse of some KoJC members.

Minors abuse raps

On 3 April, a Davao Regional Trial Court issued arrest orders against Quiboloy and five of his followers for allegedly violating Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law, specifically the provision on sexual abuse of minors and maltreatment.

Delvo said the authorities are still gathering more intelligence information on the whereabouts of Quiboloy.

“I am relying on the intelligence community to give relevant, timely, and accurate information to me so I could relay to them to my bosses so we could give instructions to the lower units,” he said, adding that Quiboloy’s vast connections and logistic resources are among the challenges in going after the KoJC leader.

He expressed confidence that Quiboloy would be arrested.

“The long arm of the law will catch up with him or any fugitive in the Philippines and probably around the world. At one time or another, they will be arrested and will face the courts,” Delvo said.