Former president Rodrigo Duterte came under fire Sunday for taking up the cudgels for Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy, following what he called a “violent confrontation” between the police and the pastor’s followers.

Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. found Duterte’s remark against the Philippine National Police puzzling given his allegedly brutal approach to the drug war that resulted in the deaths of over 7,000 individuals.

“It is ironic that today former president Duterte is speaking out in defense of the rights of his friend when he attached very little value to human rights during his administration’s war on illegal drugs,” Abante said.

Abante pointed out that if only Duterte had given due importance to human rights during his term, “then we would not have to investigate the thousands of extrajudicial killings that occurred during his presidency’s war on drugs.”

Abante’s statement was in response to the erstwhile president’s allegation that the KoJC members have become victims of “political harassment, persecution, violence, and abuse of authority” of police officials of the region.

The police, Duterte said, “forced their way” into the KoJC compound resulting in the death of a 50-year-old male member of the sect in the middle of the search operation.

Around 2,000 PNP personnel entered the KoJC compound in Davao City early Saturday morning to serve an arrest warrant against Quiboloy, who is facing child and sexual abuse and human trafficking cases in courts in Davao City and Pasig.

The pastor, however, was not found.

“We call on the remaining decent and patriotic members of our government not to allow themselves to be used and to be abusive and violent in enforcing illegal orders,” Duterte said in a statement late Saturday.

Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre countered that as a former top leader, Duterte must refrain from making statements that “tend to sow confusion and divide the Filipino nation.

“He should be all for upholding the law at all times, no exceptions,” he stressed.

Assistant Majority Leader Angelo Jil Bongalon said Duterte should be the last to react adversely to the operation against Quiboloy.

“As a former president, he is the first person who should uphold the rule of law. Why would he say such a thing?” Bongalon asked.

“We all know that the [subject] of this arrest warrant is a close friend of the former president. Shouldn’t he just show delicadeza and stop talking about it?”