MANILA, Philippines — Top leaders of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday urged wanted religious leader Apollo Quiboloy to finally come out of hiding and surrender, assuring that due process and human rights would be respected.
PNP chief Rommel Marbil first aired his demand before the Senate panel on public order and dangerous drugs’ Monday hearing, maintaining that the June 10 operation to serve an arrest warrant against alleged rapist Quiboloy did not violate any rules.
“I assure, as the chief PNP, that we will assure you na i-surrender niyo na po si Apollo Quiboloy and the four others, nandito po kami and you will see na we follow the rules, human rights, and dito niyo lang po kami makikita na we follow yung human rights. We assure you po,” said Marbil.
(I assure you, as the chief PNP, that if you surrender Apollo Quiboloy and the four others, we are here and we will see that we follow rules and human rights. We assure you.)
For his part, Police Brigadier General and Regional Director Nicolas Torre III shared Marbil’s point of view, also calling for Quiboloy to show up and spare Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) members from what they considered “harassment.”
“As I’m saying, the wheels of justice can only start if he submits to the jurisdiction of the court because everything that we discuss here, saying whether he’s innocent or guilty, are of the moment because we are not the court that will thresh out all those issues,” said Torre.
“So I would really suggest that Mr. Quiboloy submit[s] himself to the jurisdiction of the court because sooner or later, the long arm of the law will catch up with him,” he added.
‘Even Duterte clueless on Quiboloy’s whereabouts’
Panel head Sen. Bato dela Rosa, meanwhile, countered the demands, clarifying that it’s unfair to make Quiboloy’s presence a prerequisite for peace in Davao.
“I would just like to react na it’s unfair for them naman na i-require niyo muna sila na i-surrender muna si Pastor Quiboloy para maging peaceful ang Davao. Parang ganon — para maging normal ang lahat; for all you know, even [former] President Rodrigo Duterte ay walang contact kay Pastor Quiboloy, hindi alam kung nasaan na ‘yun ngayon,” said dela Rosa.
(I would just like to say that it’s unfair to require them to surrender Pastor Quiboloy before it becomes peaceful in Davao. It’s like that, in order for it to be normal again; for all you know, even former President Rodrigo Duterte has no contact with Pastor Quiboloy, we don’t know where he is right now.)
According to dela Rosa, he even tried to keep in touch with Quiboloy after the warrant was issued, but he failed to have constant contact with the religious leader who is wanted for sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Quiboloy is facing two separate arrest orders from Davao and Pasig courts.
The Supreme Court, however, granted the Department of Justice’s bid to transfer Quiboloy’s sexual abuse case from a court in Davao to Quezon City to avoid a miscarriage of justice.
Apart from these, the Senate panel on women headed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros is likewise seeking Quiboloy’s arrest.
READ: ‘Excessive, unnecessary force’ used in bid to get Quiboloy – Ex-Pres. Duterte