- KOJC lawyers question equipment brought by police inside compound
AS THE search enters seven days, Kingdom of Jesus Christ lawyers expressed disbelief after seeing the types of equipment the police have brought into the compound allegedly to find Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and the four co-accused.
During a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, Atty. Dinah Tolentino stated, “Whether there is gold inside the compound or not, if the government finds natural resources, it will seize all properties of the Kingdom.”
The lawyers were puzzled by the presence of metal detectors inside the cathedral of the compound.
On Thursday, Aug. 29, A Proton Elic LB8 was brought by the police inside the compound, which they claimed as a gold and metal detector.
“You have seen from day one to day five that the police are armed. Perhaps, Mr. President, you were not given a proper report. I have never seen justification like this, with their reason for staying being ‘heartbeat,'” Atty. Israelito Torreon said.
In a press briefing on Sunday, Philippine National Police Director General Rommel Marbil and Police Regional Office XI director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III confirmed that an underground facility was discovered earlier during a search of the KOJC compound, where Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and four other co-accused individuals were believed to be.
Regarding whether Pastor Quiboloy is still at the compound, Torre stated, “We are very confident now.”
“We are not digging, but we are searching for the entrance. We know where the areas with underground access are; it’s just a matter of time,” Torre said.
“The ‘heartbeat’ initially was at the JMC compound in the back, then moved to the Cathedral, and later to another office. This is not mentioned in our constitution as a justification for probable cause. The Court requires a judicial imprimatur, and this needs to be discussed in court,” Torreon continued.
In an interview with SMNI, Arnel Cruz, secretary general for the Treasure Hunters Association of the Philippines, said, “Hindi tao ang hinahanap ni Torre. Ang sabi niya, hanggang meron heartbeat, kami ay Hindi aalis’. Kung merong heartbeat eh, dapat stethoscope. Ang gagamitin mo kasi heartbeat eh, pero ang ginamit nila ay GPR-ground penetrating radar.”
“Ito po ay tinutulak at nagreregister ng parabellum. Basta meron itong tinamaan na bakal o kuryente. Ito po siguro ang sinasabi ni Gen. Torre na heartbeat,” he added.
“Here is what the court should do: PNP, why do you refuse to leave? Give me a reason, then I will state my objection. The court will set parameters because this is not covered by our laws,” he added.
“They are violating property rights here. This is an invasion,” Torreon further stated.
Regarding the equipment brought into the compound, Torreon asked, “They have brought metal detectors. I thought they were searching for people. Why are there metal detectors? Yesterday, I had a dream that they would find gold here, and it seems to be coming true. At around 4 a.m. today (Thursday), they brought and installed metal detectors in the Cathedral. What are they looking for, gold?”
“I teach Natural Resources, and it seems to me that if they find gold, the state would have a stake in it because all natural resources are owned by the state. If it’s a hidden treasure, the government should get a share,” he said.
“Again, their justification for staying here is questionable. They shouldn’t be allowed to stay just to seize the properties of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ if they find gold, nickel, iron, or other hidden treasures. I don’t understand why they need metal detectors,” Atty. Dinah Tolentino added.
“I have not heard that the Pastor is a tin man. That is what we are questioning,” she continued.
Earlier, the police wanted to take a firetruck parked at Waxis, claiming they had master keys from R7. The lawyers were puzzled by this demand and questioned the justification for wanting to take it. When confronted, the police walked away and refused to provide a name or a court order for seizing the firetruck. “They did not inform us if they had a court order or search warrant for the firetruck. They just left without providing any basis,” Tolentino said.
“This situation is becoming ridiculous,” she added.
Additionally, Torreon reported that a PNP drone with a Davao de Oro police label fell into the KOJC compound. Media personnel recovered the drone, and Torreon decided to keep it. “According to Article 719 of the Civil Code, if movable property is lost and the owner is unknown, it should be submitted to the City Hall. So, I turned it over to the City Hall,” Torreon said.
“The PNP, or whoever owns the drone, can claim it at the City Hall. If someone does claim it, we will consider legal action,” he added.
“This is clear evidence that drones are being used here,” Torreon concluded.
Torre further clarified that ground-penetrating radar is used to detect various things, including potential survivors if a structure collapses.
“GPR detects heartbeats and vital signs. We have already seen indications of bunkers, and we expect to locate Pastor Quiboloy,” he added.
He also mentioned that the radar has been used successfully in the past to locate people behind walls.
But Cruz said “Not to us na treasure hunter, when you say bunker, osa lang ang ibig sabihin niyan--depository. And nagulat ako bakit lumabas sa bibig ni Gen. Torre ang salitang bunker. Saan ito nanggaling?”
