With a “heavy heart,” former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte announced that he is “constrained to take action against all those responsible” behind the police raids against his spiritual advisor and friend, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.
In a statement dated June 13, 2024, and posted on the social media platforms of SMNI News at past noon on the same day, Duterte said the alleged “illegal raid” is an “act” that “cannot go unpunished.”
“While I am saddened to do this given my personal, and in the past official, support for the police and Armed Forces of the Philippines, my duties as Administrator of Church Properties demand that I take legal and appropriate action. In line with this, I have ordered not only the preparation of affidavits of all members aggrieved and traumatized by the said unfortunate incident but also an inventory of church properties destroyed as a consequence,” he said.
Duterte was named as KOJC administrator after the arrest warrant was issued against Quiboloy.
Describing it as a “day of infamy”, the ex-leader remarked that the “raiders” allegedly “did not present any search warrant” when they entered KOJC’s “various church compounds in Barangay Buhangin and Tamayong, Davao City; Glory Mountain in QSands Baptismal Resort, Samal Island; ang Kitbog Compound, Malungon Sarangani province” on June 10, 2024.
“This is a clear violation of the law. It was an overkill in any language,” he pointed out.
Duterte believed that “it is incumbent not only upon the church but also upon officers of the law to take appropriate action considering that the said trespass was beamed by social media all over the world and thus sent the wrong signal that this country has become a police state with no respect for the law and religious institutions.”
He added, “while the damage has been done, the opportunity is there to rectify the errors” through “the reliefs and legal remedies provided by law.”
Duterte’s statement came three days after multiple teams of the Philippine National Police (PNP) including its Special Action Force (SAF) launched simultaneous raids on KOJC properties in Davao City to serve arrest warrants issued by the Davao and Pasig Regional Trial Courts (RTC) against Quiboloy over allegations of abuse and alleged qualified human trafficking.
Despite their best efforts, they failed to find the religious leader and other individuals who were also subject to the arrest orders.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos, Jr. has defended raids stating these were thoroughly planned to capture Quiboloy who he said already declared that authorities won’t catch him alive.
“Sa isang panayam kay Pastor Quiboloy ay sinabi niya mismo na hindi siya magpapahuli ng buhay. Alam niyo yun. It was recorded on all media. At alam naman natin na ang papasukin natin ay mga lugar niya na talagang doon siya nakatira. With due respect naman sana maunawaan nila ang kahalagahan rito ng safety ng mga nandoon. Ilang beses siyang pinaalalahanan sa mga pulis,” said Abalos in an ambush interview with reporters on June 12, 2024.
“Kung pupunta ka roon isa o dalawa tapos sabi hindi papahuli ng buhay, delikado yan. Kaya yan ay pinag-isipan, pinag-aralan at talagang pinaghandaan. Ang importante walang nasaktan. In fact, kung makikita niyo ang mga tapes, baligtad pa nga wina-water cannon pa ang mga pulis,” he said.
