THE Philippine National Police (PNP) appeared “ineffective” in serving the warrant of arrest against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in the public’s perception after Indonesian authorities apprehended fugitive Alice Guo in Jakarta.
This was the view expressed by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa following a Senate subcommittee on justice and human rights hearing on the PNP operation at the compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) in Davao City.
“Imagine, they’ve been barricaded for almost two weeks. They even detected a heartbeat underground. They implemented a ‘whole of government approach’ when they dug in the basement of the school campus. However, the implementation of the warrant of arrest was still not successful. What needed to be seen was still not visible,” said Dela Rosa, former PNP chief.
“In the eyes of the people, it seems that our police are lacking. Especially now that the news is about how quickly the Indonesian National Police arrested the individuals sought by our government,” he added.
Dela Rosa did not specifically mention Guo, but he recalled the former mayor who was apprehended in Indonesia on Wednesday, more than two weeks after escaping the Philippines.
The Senate, led by Senator Risa Hontiveros, is investigating several government personalities who may be involved or complicit with Guo’s escape, including Sual Mayor Dong Calugay of Pangasinan. “I wonder if high confidence can compensate for low returns and low morale, especially if the latter two allegedly come at the expense of our most fundamental human rights,” Dela Rosa stated.
Dela Rosa’s committee conducted an ocular inspection of the KOJC compound on Friday, followed by a public hearing at the City Council in Davao City.
The hearing was held following Dela Rosa’s privilege speech calling for the removal of over 2,000 police officers stationed at the KOJC compound to serve the warrant of arrest against Quiboloy.
The police continue to search the compound for Quiboloy and his accomplices, with the service extending to September 6, now on its 14th day.
The police believe Quiboloy is still hiding within the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City. KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon denied Quiboloy’s presence inside the compound, a claim refuted by the authorities.
A warrant of arrest was issued against Quiboloy for violating the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, including qualified human trafficking.
Additionally, Quiboloy faces charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of minors, conspiracy, and bulk cash smuggling in the US District Court.
