Duterte slams human rights violations against Quiboloy, supporters

Former President Rodrigo Duterte —King Rodriguez/presidential photo

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte has called on Filipinos to pray for peace and justice as he criticized the police for what he called its abuse of authority and ignoring people’s rights in its ongoing search for televangelist and Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy at the group’s 30-hectare compound in Davao City.

Some House lawmakers, however, criticized Duterte, with Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., human rights committee chair, calling it “ironic” that the former leader was defending Quiboloy’s rights “when he attached very little value to human rights during his administration’s war on illegal drugs.”

READ: Quiboloy still inside KJC compound – Davao PNP

Duterte, the designated administrator of KOJC’s frozen assets, denounced in a statement on Saturday how the Philippine National Police, through Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre II, Davao Region police chief, “forced their way” into the compound, which supposedly led to the death of one of its members and injury to others. The police, however, said the alleged victim died of fatigue.

“We sympathize with the members of the KOJC for having become victims of political harassment, persecution, violence, and abuse of authority. This certainly puts a dark stain on the hands of those involved in today’s incident, led by no less than the top police official of the region,” the former president said.

He appealed to “remaining decent and patriotic” government workers not to allow themselves “to be used, to be abusive and violent in enforcing illegal orders.”

‘Reign of fear, terror’

“We call on all Filipinos, regardless of political persuasion, to offer prayers for peace and justice, and to spare our people of the unwarranted tension brought about by the reign of fear and terror by people sworn to uphold the law and protect the citizens of this country,” Duterte said.

“Again, let us ask this administration how it can guarantee the preservation of the constitutional rights of our fellow Filipinos when even the most fundamental of these rights are being blatantly violated,” he added.

Abante, however, said the rights of all Filipinos “should be respected, whether they be pastor or pauper,” adding that it was a “tragic irony” that the former president was speaking out “while the [House] quad committee is investigating the Duterte administration’s drug war that killed thousands of Filipinos, orphaned so many children, and traumatized families.”

He noted that Quiboloy was being afforded due process while “unfortunately and tragically, thousands of our kababayan[s] who were slain during the war on drugs were not given the same opportunity.”

House Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog party list Rep. Jude Acidre, meanwhile, backed former Sen. Leila de Lima’s call for Duterte to help authorities serve the arrest warrant for Quiboloy, saying, “as a former president, he should be all for upholding the law at all times, no exceptions.”

“How can one argue against a legitimate operation of law enforcement agencies?” he said.