Raps filed versus 29 KoJC members

DAVAO CITY — The Police Regional Office in Davao Region (PRO-11) confirmed Thursday it has filed cases against 29 members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) after 60 policemen were hurt when they attempted to serve an arrest warrant on their leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

In a press briefing, Maj. Catherine de la Rey, PRO-11 spokesperson, said they have filed assorted cases, including for direct assault and obstruction of justice.

“They (the 29) are currently in the Davao City Police Office custodial facility. The update that was given to me yesterday was they are processing for their bail,” she said.

‘Surrender’

De la Rey said the cops who were hurt are recovering from their injuries. “On our part, we also treated at least two KoJC members who were also hurt during the operation,” she added.

Meanwhile, lawyer Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, legal counsel of the KoJC, confirmed that the arrested members were all male who included students.

“They were all male and they all are undergoing inquest. We are waiting for the resolution for us to file bail because these are all bailable,” she added.

“We have waived our right to a preliminary investigation because we are more interested in posting bail for them,” she said.

Meanwhile, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches Bishop Noel Pantoja appealed to Quiboloy to “consider surrendering” to the authorities.

In a statement, Pantoja also urged the “co-accused members of the KoJC” to surrender, saying that “no one is above the law.”

“Facing accusers and investigations peacefully is a fundamental principle of justice,” Pantoja said.

The bishop also called on the Philippine National Police to exercise restraint and uphold human rights throughout the whole search and arrest process.

“We also appeal to our government leaders to act as peacemakers and not leverage the issue for political gain,” he said.

“The pursuit of justice should not be marred by the divisions of politics; instead it should foster unity and healing within our communities,” he added.

The authorities have been trying to arrest Quiboloy who is believed to be holed up inside the KoJC compound since 24 August.

Arrest warrants were issued by Davao and Pasig city courts against the religious leader and others for alleged violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act as well as qualified human trafficking.

In the United States, a 2021 indictment accused the 74-year-old preacher and his alleged accomplices of running a sex trafficking ring that coerced girls and young women to have sex with him under threat of “eternal damnation.”

Quiboloy has repeatedly denied all the charges against him.

CA freeze order extended

In a related development, the Court of Appeals (CA) has extended for six months the freeze order it earlier issued on the assets of Quiboloy.

Initially, the freeze order was effective for 20 days, but now it has been extended to February 2025, according to Fuentes, the KoJC lawyer.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council has also confirmed the extension of the freeze order to 6 February 2025, as per an 20 August CA resolution.

It covers the bank accounts and assets of Quiboloy, the KoJC, nine of his associates, as well as the Swara Sug Media Corporation, the sect’s media arm which operates under the name Sonshine Media Network International.

The assets were ordered frozen over alleged links to trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and money laundering charges in the Philippines and United States.

These include 10 bank accounts, seven real properties, five motor vehicles, and one Cessna aircraft belonging to Quiboloy.