DAVAO CITY — The Davao City Regional Trial Court, Branch 15, has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately cease its operations at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) compound and to remove all barricades, barriers, and blockades obstructing access.

“This Court, under the current situation, sees the urgency to direct PNP XI to immediately cease and desist from any act or omission that threatens the life, liberty, or security as well as the properties of the petitioners,” stated the order on Monday.

The court’s ruling came in response to recent incidents where the PNP’s restrictions on the KoJC compound and the Jose Maria College Foundation Inc. (JMCFI) were seen as infringing on property rights and religious and academic freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.

Lawyer Israelito Torreon, representing KoJC, and Police Regional Office 11 (PRO-11) Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III discussed the court order at the PRO-11 office.

Torreon highlighted that the order emphasized the need to dismantle the PNP-imposed restrictions and barriers around the KoJC compound.

“The rationale behind the cease-and-desist order is the restriction and control imposed within the KoJC compound,” Torreon said. “The court’s decision underscores the urgent need to remove these obstructions to protect the petitioners’ rights.”

Torreon noted that the court acknowledged the potential threat to the petitioners’ life, liberty, and security due to the PNP presence. He said that such threats were evident due to the imposed restrictions.

Despite the court order, Torre affirmed that the PNP would continue to serve the warrant on KoJC leader Apollo Quiboloy.

He assured that the PNP would comply with the court’s directive by removing all obstructions to ensure unimpeded access to and from the compound.

The PNP’s actions, including the use of barricades and checkpoints, were intended to enforce legal measures and investigations.

However, the court’s ruling reflected concerns over the balance between law enforcement and the protection of constitutional rights.

Drilling for suspected bunker starts

Police Regional Office 11 personnel have been at the KoJC compound since early Saturday to look for Quiboloy, who is the subject of arrest warrants for sexual abuse and trafficking cases in courts in Davao City and in Pasig City.

The PNP began drilling for the bunker believed to be under the compound on Tuesday, according to Torreon.

The PNP believes that Quiboloy and some of his co-accused are hiding in an underground bunker at the sprawling property.

Torreon said the police started drilling around 4 a.m. Tuesday near the cathedral inside the property.

He said the KoJC did not have a representative to witness what was happening inside the compound, as the authorities continued their search for Quiboloy.

The lawyer added he was not aware of the existence of a bunker inside the 30-hectare compound.

DILG: No pause in hunt

There will be no pause in the police search for Quiboloy and his aides, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday.

DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. clarified that despite the temporary protection order (TPO) in favor of the KoJC, which mandates the removal of barricades and blockades that restrict access to the compound, the police operations will continue.

“The TPO requires the removal of barriers that obstruct access and hinder the rights of the KoJC members, but it does not halt the search operations,” Abalos said in a phone interview. “The search for Pastor Quiboloy will proceed as planned.”

The DILG chief assured that the police will adhere to the TPO while continuing their search, which has shown “positive developments” since Saturday.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo confirmed the receipt of the TPO and said the police will file a clarificatory petition with the RTC.

The police submitted a report indicating their continued presence in the area due to credible information and technical evidence suggesting that Quiboloy and his aides might be inside the compound.

“We have reason to believe the suspects are in the compound based on information from our informants and our technical equipment,” Fajardo said in a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

She also urged the KoJC counsels to clarify to their members that the court’s order does not require the police to halt their search.

According to Police Regional Office-11, ground-penetrating radar has detected signs of two individuals inside an underground bunker, believed to be 20 to 30 meters below ground.

Fajardo emphasized that the police will remain at the compound as long as necessary to complete the search.

Marcos defends KoJC raid

Earlier in the day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended the substantial police presence at the KoJC compound.

Marcos said the large number of police was necessary to effectively manage and secure the 30-hectare compound.

“You need a lot of people to inspect such a large area,” he said, addressing concerns about the scale of the operation.

He dismissed allegations of human rights violations as being “political” and unfounded, noting that the police were unarmed and did not use tear gas or other forceful measures.

Marcos criticized Quiboloy for putting his supporters in harm’s way by involving them in his legal issues.

“They are innocent people seeking answers and values, not frontline fighters,” he said.