The Tyranny of Power

I have not seen an extent of tyranny of power than what is taking place at what was once the most peaceful place in Davao City — the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC).

This place, once so orderly and quiet, where smiles and respect came naturally to every “kingdom citizen,” is now in disarray.

Every inch of the KoJC premises is occupied by a police force that has been augmented by the Armed Forces of the Philippines courtesy of Defense Chief Gilberto Teodoro. It’s literally a war zone where two battalions of PNP special forces and three companies of military soldiers all armed with assault rifles, tear gas bombs and pepper spray are deployed. This, against church members armed only with bibles and their unmoving faith — from the pictures shown on Facebook.

And yet the propaganda outfit of the PNP has the gall to say they are being harassed by the KoJC members, even claiming that members were aiming lasers at the choppers hovering over the compound. The choppers even wrecked the solar panels on the roof of the school.

At this writing, the government forces have control of the land and the air space, including the basements of the buildings. Now and then, a US Chinook military helicopter would hover over the area. At the NAIA, meantime, three Malaysian women were tagged as persona non grata by the Bureau of Immigration for saying that they wanted to visit their friends at KoJC.

Their quarry? Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, a man of peace. The pastor had only asked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to write a letter of guarantee that he would not be surrendered to the American authorities who are also hunting for him based on trumped-up charges.

Which begs the question — why cannot Marcos extend that plea? The pastor will face his accusers in Philippine courts for certain but will never place himself under the custody of a foreign authority that wants him jailed on the basis of charges raised by fugitives who squandered the money of the ministry.

What is so difficult about granting that request? Not so long ago, candidate Marcos, including some of his Cabinet members and his subalterns, sought the help and endorsement of Pastor Apollo for their electoral agenda. The pastor went all-out for them, using his media broadcast assets and the command votes that the religious leader has.

When Pastor Apollo celebrates his birthday, his accusers are there. During KoJC anniversaries on the 1st of September, they watch a Disney-like parade on the well-manicured kingdom grounds.

Bongbong and his sisters were ever present at every significant occasion celebrated by KoJC.

In the AFP and PNP fight against the CPP and its NPA combatants, the NTF-ELCAC used the facilities and assets of KoJC’s SMNI.

For the past weeks, however, those who used to curry favor with him accused him of crimes, and Marcos, for one, unleashed his policemen and military personnel to hunt for him.

Pastor Apollo is not a convict yet. In the small crowd that managed to stage a simple anniversary celebration last Sunday, Vice President Sara Duterte waded through the police and military cordon to deliver her message of compassion and regret.

Regret because she had asked the members of the religious congregation to vote for Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. for president.

Significantly, not a few policemen hummed the religious ditties that the members sang with tears and pent-up emotions. They missed their shepherd’s presence in their midst.

Perhaps the Senate must have finally come to its senses and seen that the extreme human rights violations and undeterred destruction of the KoJC had breached the limits and become unconscionable in a civilized society and democracy.

Today, the senators will be in Davao City to conduct a probe on how the holy place has been ravaged by overwhelming forces and, perhaps, condole with the family of the dead and comfort those who were injured and shocked by the tear gas bombs and the display of assault rifles and other weapons of war.