Here is another contentious issue relative to the already 2-week long search for fugitive Pastor of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church (KOJC) Rev. Apollo C. Quiboloy.
We are referring to reports that the local government of Davao City has not issued any permit to the Philippine National Police (PNP) for them to close the portion of C.P. Garcia Diversion Highway specifically the one in front of the KOJC main headquarters.
The question is, did the police apply for such permit? Or, is it possible that the law enforcement group considers the urgency of implementing the closure without going through the process of seeking authority because any delay in the acquisition of permit could give the Pastor-in-hiding the opportunity to escape?
But who did the closure? Was it the Police? Or was it the KOJC members who do not want the lawmen to enter the Church compound so they have to do such drastic action?
Of course the answer depends on which side of the protagonists one wishes himself or herself to be identified with.
Thus the issue on the lack of permit of the closure of the highway is indeed relative. However, there is no doubt that the revelation of the local government that the closure of the highway was sans the necessary permit could be an effective aid in boosting the side of the beleaguered Pastor. And they sure will take full advantage of it.
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So the government has augmented the number of uniformed personnel fielded at the vicinity and inside the compound of the KOJC main headquarters to “ensure peace and safety” to both the civilians and the police while the search of the elusive religious sect leader is still on-going?
This time it is the men from the Philippine Army who are assigned in the area. No, it is ot to help arrest the Pastor but to ensure that civilians will be protected and their rights taken care of should the police find it necessary to go to the “extreme” in arresting Pastor Quiboloy.
As of yesterday the Police remained hopeful that they could still find the escaped Pastor in any isolated area inside the Headquarters compound. But as the day was slowly engulfed in darkness yesterday still not even a shadow of the Pastor was seen.
But of course, with the huge number of law enforcers pulled out from their posts and assigned to the boring job of finding the escaped Pastor, the Regional Police XI chief who is the over-all commander of the mission, remains hopeful that eventually they can catch the Pastor in the recesses of some bunker down under.
We are however, certain that some, if not all of the Pastor’s close confidants may just be laughing their hearts out. They know that they have succeeded in laying an effective diversionary tactic to waylay the police as to the real hiding place of the Pastor.
Simply put, Brig. Gen. Nicolas Tore III and his policemen are actually made suckers of their own intuition.
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During a mass last Sunday, September 1, two things struck us most. One was the celebrant priest’s sharing to the faithful that September is the time for the celebration of the “Consciousness of God’s creation.” The other is the 75th year of Davao’s becoming an Archdiocese.
On the Consciousness of God’s creation we were reminded of the responsibilities of men to take care of everything God has created on earth that provide us the kind of living condition that we have now. The mass celebrant Monsignor Max Sarno emphasized in his homily the need to be conscious not only of the human creation of God but also all other existing habitations on earth. In other words, our environment. Yes, the Monsignor felt that all aspects of environment must have to be taken care of because any deterioration thereof, is also seen as the deterioration of the quality of life of the people – one most important of God’s creations.
On the other thing mentioned by Monsignor Sarno. It was the only time that we learned the Archdiocese of Davao has journeyed that long – 75 years – providing the faithful the time to evolve into one strong bastion of the Catholic faith.
And we are happy that we have been part of the archdiocese for almost 50 years since we relocated ourselves in this city from our home province of Cebu. The likelihood in fact is that we will be back to being dust right in the soil of this archdiocese.
