PNP: Search for Quiboloy in KOJC compound may take days

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday said a search of the 30-hectare Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City to find wanted Pastor Apollo Quiboloy may take days.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said among the challenges faced by the police in finding Quiboloy is the reported tunnels inside the religious group's property.

"I think it's a open secret. When the structure was under construction, some videos on YouTube showed these. If we notice, when we tried to serve the warrant of arrest, there was a deliberate attempt to derail, delay the service of warrant," she said in Filipino.

She said sirens were heard inside the compound during the police's first attempt to search the property and arrest Quiboloy on June 10.

"I don't know if it is just a signal to anyone to give them the opportunity to hide or even escape," she said.

She said the PNP is studying the best approach in arresting Quiboloy without any violence, noting that the group previously used women and children as human shields in blocking the police.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 (Davao) chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said Thursday based on their intelligence monitoring, Quiboloy is still inside the KOJC compound.

Fajardo, meanwhile, said the police have established checkpoints near the KOJC compound.

She said the Court of Appeals' (CA) freeze order on known assets of Quiboloy and the KOJC would cut their capability to evade the law.

The Aug. 6 notice issued by the CA's Special 3rd Division covered 10 bank accounts, seven real properties, five motor vehicles, and one aircraft owned by Quiboloy.

"We appeal to Pastor Quiboloy to spare yung kanyang mga tagasuporta. Hindi ito laban ng PNP at lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno sa KOJC. Ito ay implementation ng isang legal order na inissue ng korte para sa particular na isang tao. Hindi doon sa kanilang organization (his supporters. This is not a battle between the PNP and all government agencies against the KOJC. This is an implementation of a legal order issued by the court to a particular person, not to their organization)," Fajardo said. (PNA)