President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday the conditions set by Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy for his surrender were “immaterial.”
Marcos stressed that once a court issues an arrest warrant, the matter is out of the executive branch’s hands but under the judiciary’s.
“It seems he doesn’t fully understand the process. Once the court issues a bench warrant or arrest warrant, it is out of our hands but under the control of the courts,” Marcos said in Filipino.
Quiboloy’s camp had asked for written assurances from Marcos and Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla that the United States would not interfere with his legal issues in the Philippines.
Marcos, however, underscored that Quiboloy needs to address those concerns directly with the court.
“He needs to speak with the court. The executive’s role is just to arrest him. So all these conditions he’s demanding are immaterial,” he said.
Extradition treaty with U.S.
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the government cannot guarantee Quiboloy won’t be extradited to the US because Manila and Washington have an extradition treaty. All legal obligations and treaties must be respected, he emphasized.
“I don’t want to preempt the decision of those above me, especially since it is a major policy decision. However, if that time comes, it will be the government’s option, as we have an obligation due to the extradition treaty,” Vasquez said.
“No one in government can give that guarantee, strictly speaking.”
The government will not give Quiboloy special treatment, and any guarantees would require careful legal consideration.
Quiboloy is wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation on sex trafficking and money laundering charges, among others, and he is on the FBI’s most wanted list.
He also faces multiple charges in the Philippines. In April, a Pasig City court ordered his arrest for qualified human trafficking. Quiboloy also has an arrest warrant issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court on a child and sexual abuse complaint.
Uphold rule of law, PNP told
In Davao City, the city council has approved a resolution urging the Philippine National Police (PNP) to uphold the “rule of law” in its search operations at the KoJC compound.
In a privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, Councilor Luna Acosta said that while she respected the PNP’s right to serve a warrant of arrest on Quiboloy, his constitutional rights must not be overlooked.
“I respect and acknowledge the power of the court to issue a warrant of arrest and the authority of the police to enforce the same. However, when the enforcement of the warrant is accompanied by the use of excessive force, the seizure of private property, and a disregard for the rights of others, we must ask ourselves if this is still what the law provides,” Acosta said.
According to her, serving the arrest warrant has caused an inconvenience to Dabawenyos, especially those who have flights, work and classes.
She urged the police to consider how their actions impact the rule of law and constitutional rights, particularly because there is a school within the KoJC compound.
“The service of the warrant of arrest affects not only the KoJC. For the first three days of the siege, great inconvenience was experienced by many Dabawenyos who were late for their flights due to the traffic conditions near the airport,” Acosta added.
Classes at Jose Maria College, located in the KoJC compound, have been suspended since 24 August.
“Since the search operations began, Jose Maria College has not been able to open its doors to its students due to the continued police presence in the buildings,” Acosta said.
She said the operations had affected the police as well, most of whom were not from the Davao Region.
“I feel for our police personnel assigned to this operation; many of them have not eaten or slept properly since this began. Most of them are not even from the Davao Region, and have families worrying for their well-being,” she said.