POLICE Regional Office XI director Brig. General Nicolas Torre III stated on Tuesday that he still believes “Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is still within the KOJC Compound and that he is just walking around.”
However, KOJC legal counsel Atty. Israelito Torreon countered that the police should admit their mission to arrest Quiboloy has failed, given they are already on their 12th day of operation.
Torreon finds Torre’s statement “ludicrous and incredible, knowing that the PNP has poured all its resources and high-tech equipment into the search for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.”
When asked about Quiboloy’s location, Torre responded, “We are still searching for him, and he’s here inside, just walking around.” He added, “As you’ve seen, the most difficult part is his supporters. They may not be many, but they create a lot of chaos that distracts us. These are the people who benefit from his exploitation.”
Torre continued, “I pity these people who have been so convinced and brainwashed. But some of their companions have left and are now witnesses against him in court cases. These include both foreigners and Filipinos.”
Addressing the challenges, Torre stated, “The challenge lies with their supporters, but there are already members who have left the religious group. New members are now giving us information, which is why we entered the building.”
He also mentioned relying on human intelligence. “We have human intelligence. One of our findings revealed that Quiboloy compartmentalizes their activities. Some people don’t know what others are doing. We’re getting information from those who have left.”
Regarding the use of technology, Torre explained, “The technology is proven and tested. The problem is that he moves around. Every time we go to the indicated locations, he moves to another. It’s really a challenge for us. Remember, the guy has two helicopters and two airplanes waiting in the hangar, along with all the luxury cars. He has immense resources and money. It’s like we’re playing hide-and-seek, and he’s protected by his people.”
Torre further claimed that KOJC controls the CCTV footage in the compound. “We don’t interfere with it. If it were a hard operation, we would have confiscated cell phones, but we’re not doing that. Even if there are easy or difficult ways, we choose the right way, with respect, even if they don’t respect us.”
When asked if Quiboloy is still inside KOJC, Torre responded, “We still believe he’s here, laughing at us. It’s okay, there is always time for everything… that time will come. We will catch him; it’s just a matter of time.”
Regarding the end of the search, Torre stated, “We’re almost there. I’m always an optimistic person. I don’t get easily discouraged. I’m optimistic, but of course, we can’t fully predict things. Only Atty. Torreon can predict the end of the world, not us. That’s why it might take a while.”
He further added, “Remember what I said in the Senate? As long as everything is legal, they can seek help from the court. They have a TPO, and the barricade is theirs. So, I don’t want to give a deadline to this operation.”
On the other hand, Atty. Torreon said, “General Nicolas Torre’s claim that he still believes Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is still here in the KOJC Compound and that he is just walking around is ludicrous and incredible, knowing that the PNP has poured all its resources and high-tech equipment here just to look for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.”
Torreon further argued the sheer number of 3,000 policemen who have repeatedly been conducting random and omnibus searches in all the nooks and crannies in the KOJC and JMC Compound to the extent that the police are now even undergoing a tunneling operation in the JMC basement just to look for Pastor ACQ for eleven long days is an admission enough that it is mission failure for him.
As a matter of fact, his declaration that Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy is “just walking around here” completely destroys any and all legal cover for the continuous drilling and tunneling of the JMC Compound and the sequestration of the KOJC Cathedral as well as some rooms of JMC and other structures. Why? Because If Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy is just walking around the KOJC Compound, why dig a deep tunnel and destroy the Foundations of the structures of JMC – a school that is owned by an entity separate and distinct from the accused? ” Torreon questioned.
“This declaration is clear evidence that he really has no probable cause that would support the tunneling activities that he is currently conducting in the JMC Basement,” he added.
” The entire world has seen that we tried to gain access to the JMC Basement in order to confirm whether or not the tunneling activities are in fact true but the police personnel there prevented us from entering the same,” he said.
This proves that all declarations emanating from him are a lie. If he has nothing to hide, why deny access to the JMC Basement? Falsus in Uno, Falsus in Omnibus (false in one thing, false in everything).
His declaration that he found “xxx a room allegedly belonging to Quiboloy which was surrounded by more rooms where women and minors stay” is another attempt to demean the respectable character of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.
Right from the get-go of the illegal operation on Aug. 24, 2024, we already declared that four (4) minor children suffered severe anxiety attacks as a result of the tear gas lobbing which victimized a number of people and even caused the death of one person and the heart attack of 4 other persons while 16 people lost consciousness (at least during the violent August 24 siege).
Such is a declaration that there are really minors here who are children of some of the KOJC Members while some are wards of the Children’s Joy Foundation – a foundation that caters to and helps orphans and abandoned children.
Even the DSWD in the past recognized the humanitarian works being extended by the KOJC Foundation to hapless minor children, hence, to use the presence of minors and women in the KoJC compound and give it a twist clearly implies that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is a child or women abuser is a cheap tack which is clearly resorted to just to hide the blatant fact that he has turned an arrest warrant as a license to convert the KOJC Compound into a police garrison.
The lawyer said, ” Note that 11 days have already lapsed and General Torre has utilized 3000 policemen coming from different regions complete with high tech equipment where he has succeeded in violating innumerable laws yet he has never found Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy in the compound, hence, prudence dictates that he should stop this illegal operation at once.”
Finally, General Torre’s claim that he and his family are receiving death threats is again a dirty attempt to hide his “Mission Failure” by trying to win public sympathy.
” The fact remains that he has caused a lot of mess in this continuing hullabaloo which resulted to the death of one person, causing the hospitalization of several persons, padlocking and imprisoning 29 persons, seizing several motor vehicles, sequestering the KOJC Cathedral and other rooms of JMC, engaging in tunneling activities in the JMC Basement among others,” Torreon added.
“Hence, it is more than high time for him to be told, Sir please, enough is enough. Stop these illegal operations at once and leave the KOJC compound,” he further said.
