Gen. Torre: PNP to stay in KOJC compound until ‘Baste’ advises Quiboloy to give up
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 28 Aug)—Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said the police intends to stay at the compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) “until [Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte] advises Quiboloy to simply give up and face the consequences.”
It was apparently a reply on the mayor’s statement on Monday when he asked “the public seeks clarification from the PNP, how long do you intend to stay at the KOJC property?”
Torre, commander of the Police Regional Office – 11 (PRO-11), and PNP chief Rommel Marbil were interviewed on Tuesday about the ongoing police operation in Davao City over the popular YouTube channel of Cielo Magno, a former finance undersecretary and now professor at the University of the Philippines.
“Tuloy-tuloy ito hanggang sa mapagod si Quiboloy at sumurender na lang (This will continue until Quiboloy gets tired and simply surrenders),” Torre said during the online interview.
“Personally, I would also like to ask them, hanggang kailan ba natin i-insist ang hustisya? (Until when will we insist on justice)?” said Torre, who is leading the police operation to catch fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his four co-accused.
The mayor said the situation has already caused inconvenience to motorists, businesses, and the public, referring to the standoff between the police and Quiboloy followers.
Duterte and Torre have been at odds earlier over a statement of the police official who alleged that a Davao City police report about the crime rate was “manipulated” to make it appear low.
Duterte called Torre “a professional liar” over such remarks, which prompted Torre to dare the mayor to sue him in court for perjury.
Torre said Quiboloy’s followers printed so many shirts with “Justice for Apollo Quiboloy,” but how can justice be given to Mr. Quiboloy if he does not submit himself to the court?
On Wednesday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos called on the KOJC leader to come out of hiding. “Para matapos na lahat, let’s face the court, Pastor Quiboloy,” Abalos said in a statement sent via email to this reporter.
“Kung talagang wala siyang kasalanan, harapin niya ‘to at huwag siyang matakot dito,” Abalos said.
Now is time to tell the people your version of what really happened and let the Philippine legal system take its course, Abalos said in his message to the fugitive preacher.
In April this year, a Pasig City court ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking. He also has an arrest warrant for child and sexual abuse charges issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court.
Quiboloy went into hiding and has since evaded attempts to arrest him.
The PNP initially attempted to serve a warrant of arrest to Quiboloy on June 10 at the KOJC compound in Davao City.
The current police operation to get Quiboloy is the PNP’s second attempt to arrest him and his co-accused.
Despite the August 27 court-issued protection order that sent KOJC members in jubilation over what they believed that the police were ordered to stop and leave KOJC premises, the police remained and went on with their operations inside the KOJC compound.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 has clarified on Wednesday that the issuance of temporary protection order (TPO) does not prevent service of arrest warrants against Quiboloy.
Marbil has confirmed in the same online interview that there is an underground bunker in the property where Quiboloy and his co-accused are hiding.
That bunker was really designed like those of doomsday preppers, he said. Doomsday preppers are akin to survivalism, a social movement of individuals or groups who prepare for natural disasters or civil disorder caused by political or economic crises.
“We have reliable proof that meron tao nagtatago (there are individuals hiding) underground,” Marbil said as he disclosed they were using sophisticated technical equipment from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
It is a ground penetrating radar, designed to look for life underneath ruins, he said.
“We can hear eight heart beats, practically these are the five fugitives and three others who could be Quiboloy’s security men,” the PNP chief said. (Rommel G. Rebollido / MindaNews)
No comments:
Post a Comment