Duterte slams excessive force in Quiboloy hunt

DAVAO CITY — Former President Rodrigo Duterte strongly condemned the use of “excessive and unnecessary force” in serving the warrants of arrest on Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) by police officers on Monday.

“Will this overkill be the trademark of this administration when dealing with individuals who are merely accused of committing a crime and have not been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt?” asked Duterte in a statement.

Duterte said the police officers who served the warrants were not even from Davao City. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, underlining that the incident occurred within a sacred space and on school grounds, deeming it utterly unacceptable.

“Will they exhibit the same lack of self-restraint they have shown towards critics of this administration when dealing with their supporters? How can this administration guarantee the preservation of the constitutional rights of our fellow Filipinos when even the most fundamental of these rights are being trampled upon and blatantly violated?” he said.

At around 3:45 a.m. on 10 June, several officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and hundreds of law enforcers from various special units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) reportedly from Region 10 simultaneously raided four properties of the KoJC to serve the arrest warrants issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court, Branch 159, against Quiboloy and other leaders of the Kingdom.

The raids were conducted at the KoJC Compound, Prayer Mountain and Glory Mountain (both in Barangay Tamayong, Davao City), and at the KoJC property in Kitbog, Sarangani province.

“We strongly condemn the manner of implementing the arrest warrants insofar as they were not only laden with irregularities, but they were excessive and an overkill. The PNP deployed special battalions who were in full battle gear, some CIDG officials were seen wearing bulletproof vests, and hundreds of police personnel in anti-riot gear and shields strategically positioned themselves at the KoJC compound,” the KoJC officials and members said in a statement.

Based on a report by the religious group, at least three members were injured in the melee that ensued when fully armed policemen tried to scale the gate of the KoJC compound.

“Helicopters were roving over the compound. The police arrival was really unannounced, and we were caught by surprise as the police officers had already visited the KoJC Central a number of times prior to this morning’s incident,” the group said.

A KoJC statement added that when the police officers used make-shift ladders in trying to climb over the walls of the KoJC compound, the members were alarmed.

“Tension ensued and three members were mauled in the commotion. At Glory Mountain, the main gate was smashed or destroyed when the police forcibly entered the property. Nine members of the KoJC were arrested/handcuffed by the police for the reason that they were allegedly carrying bolos during the raid. The members are already preparing a formal complaint against the police officers concerned,” the statement said.

The KoJC also claimed the serving of the warrants was questionable in as much as the CIDG had already filed the Returns of Warrant of Arrest back on 14 May 2024 before Pasig City RTC Branch 159.

“Thus, insofar as the KoJC leaders are concerned, the warrants had 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,” the group said.

Despite the raids, the police still did not find Quiboloy.