Gov’t brushes off Quiboloy’s terms

International commitments will come into play over the extradition to the United States of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy, a situation over which the Philippine government can exert little control, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said yesterday regarding the conditions set by the fugitive pastor.

Quiboloy’s camp reiterated the embattled pastor’s condition that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issue a written guarantee that he would not be extradited to the US where he was indicted for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking of children.

“About the guarantee that he is asking for, no one in the government can give that,” Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said in a forum in Quezon City.

“That is a legal issue that needs to be carefully studied because, in the first place, no government official would want to violate the law. All our treaties have the force of law once they are signed and concurred in by the Senate. That is part of our legal obligation. And you can just imagine if we renege on our international obligation in favor of an individual,” he said.

The manhunt for Quiboloy has entered its seventh day but the KoJC founder has remained elusive, prompting heightened the police activity around KoJC properties in Davao City.

His legal team, led by lawyer Israelito Torreon, again raised the alleged political motivation against his fugitive client.

Torreon has expressed deep concern about the possible fate awaiting his client. In a recent interview, he revealed the legal team’s fear that Quiboloy would be subjected to “extraordinary rendition,” a term that refers to the covert transfer of a suspect to another country without the proper legal process.

Torreon suggested this could result in Quiboloy being brought to the United States to face serious charges, including sex trafficking, without getting a fair trial in the Philippines.

The DoJ official said extradition is different from extraordinary rendition — essentially state-backed kidnapping — that Quiboloy claims he is in danger of.

Last March, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the DoJ had not received an extradition request from the US regarding Quiboloy.

Based on a 1994 treaty, requests for extradition should be sent through diplomatic channels and should be supported by documents like statements and details of the alleged offense, a copy of the judicial warrant and the charging document.

The requesting country must also send “such evidence as, according to the law of the Requested State, would provide probable cause for his arrest and committal for trial if the offense had been committed there.”

Torreon, meanwhile, wrote Daily Tribune to complain about a social media post of the paper headlined “Inside KoJC’s Secret Chamber” which came out on 29 August, requesting that the article be erased or “taken down” from the news organization’s Facebook account.

He accused Jasper Dawang, the author of the article, of not exercising due diligence, fairness and responsibility” in writing the story.

“To report that the Philippine National Police’s inspection of underground rooms at the KoJC compound unearthed a chilling hidden chamber is a fabrication and a concoction of deceit,” Torreon said.

The camp of Quiboloy has also sought a written declaration from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla that he will not be delivered to the US without being given a chance to prove his innocence in the Philippines.

The religious leader who is believed to be hiding inside the vast compound is subject to warrants from Davao and Pasig city courts, where he is facing abuse and trafficking cases.

In a press briefing, Torreon criticized the actions of the police, accusing them of showing unwarranted force.

“They were there, inspecting the vicinity, but they didn’t have the legal right to enter or search. We are witnessing a show of force, and it’s clear that there is an agenda behind this,” Torreon asserted. He went on to question the justification provided by the authorities, mocking the idea that they were “searching for heartbeats.”

“The police need to specify the exact place they are searching, and they need to have a clear legal basis for their actions. What we are seeing here is an excessive use of police power, something that should be of concern to every Filipino who values their rights and freedoms,” Torreon said in a recent interview with the media.

PNP brings excavators

KoJC members said the PNP brought equipment into their compound that has led them to suspect that they were drilling on the ground inside.

Torreon said they were able to confirm that metal detectors and ground drilling machines were brought inside.

“You can hear the drilling being conducted and the fact that they would not allow us to enter raises a strong suspicion that there are drilling,” he added.

Torreon said bringing mining equipment into the compound is against the law.

“I asked General Torre about it and he would neither confirm nor deny it and he only told me that there are some decisions that it were not his to make anymore.”

Torreon said there were no “secret chambers” in the compound.

Not searching for gold

Maj. Catherine de la Rey, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 11, clarified that they were not looking for gold or any valuable items inside the cathedral.

In a video message, she said the operation was conducted to ensure the safety and order of the place.

“The statement of KoJC that we might be looking for gold is a false accusation that aims to destroy the credibility of the operation of the PNP. Our objective is to enforce the law and protect the public, there is no other personal interest or purpose to get any material things in that place,” De la Rey added.