Composite image of former President Duterte and fugitive televangelist Quiboloy —Inquirer file photos
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte accused the government on Tuesday of “overkill” in its hunt for controversial televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, claiming that policemen used “excessive force” to enter and search the properties of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) leader.
“I strongly condemn the use of excessive and unnecessary force in serving the warrant of arrest for Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the [KJC] by police officers who are not even from Davao City,” Duterte said in a statement.
More than a hundred policemen from the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and personnel from police units in Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Soccsksargen regions stormed the KOJC compound in Buhangin District, and the Glory Mountain and Prayer Mountain in Barangay Tamayong to look for Quiboloy, who has become a fugitive from the law after evading a string of arrest warrants issued by courts in Davao and Pasig cities.
READ: PNP: Serving of arrest warrant vs Quiboloy, others a ‘lawful operation’
The Buhangin property hosts the Jose Maria College, while the Tamayong properties are considered hallowed grounds of the KOJC, a sect based in Davao City founded by Quiboloy.
According to Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, the troops smashed the gate leading to the 25-hectare Glory Mountain.
“This incident occurred within a place of worship and on school premises, which is absolutely unacceptable,” said Duterte, who considers Quiboloy his spiritual adviser and close friend.
READ: 100 cops storm Quiboloy’s home to arrest him but he’s not found
Blatant violation
Amid Quiboloy’s continued hiding, he had designated Duterte as the administrator of KOJC properties.
“Will this overkill be the trademark of this administration when dealing with individuals who are merely accused of committing a crime and have not been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt? Will they exhibit the same lack of self-restraint they have shown toward critics of this administration when dealing with their supporters?” Duterte asked.
“How can this administration guarantee the preservation of the constitutional rights of our fellow Filipinos when even the most fundamental of these rights are being trampled upon and blatantly violated?” he added.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Police Regional Office 11 in the Davao region defended the troops’ actions.
“The decision to get several police officers involved in the service of several warrants of arrest was adopted to ensure safety and operational effectiveness, taking into consideration the number of persons to be arrested and the areas where they were reasonably believed to be found,” it said.
“We understand the concerns about the use of force. The police officers employed reasonable measures to restrain some individuals who were obstructing the service of arrest warrants. Despite resistance from supporters, our police officers remained composed and demonstrated maximum tolerance throughout the operation. Our primary objective is to maintain public trust and ensure that justice is served fairly and impartially,” it added.
During his presidency, Duterte urged policemen to shoot first when confronted by drug addicts and to worry about human rights afterward.
“For me, I don’t care about human rights … I will assume full legal responsibility. I will face those human rights, not you (enforcers),” he said in a speech in December 2020. —with a report from Tina G. Santos