INQUIRER FILES
DAVAO CITY — An angry mob keen on protecting the fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and calling for “people power” and “solidarity” tested the limits of police tolerance Sunday night as they blocked the entire highway leading to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) compound and started a night-long rally that threatened to erupt into pockets of violence.
Six policemen were injured after being beaten by angry KJC members as police continued their presence in the compound to arrest the pastor wanted for child abuse, sexual abuse, and human trafficking charges filed at the Davao City and Pasig City courts, Major Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 11, reported.
Angry KJC members also claimed that some of them got hurt and suffocated after police hurled tear gas.
The mob came about only hours after Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III announced in a press briefing in this city that they already pinpointed the exact location of Quiboloy inside the compound using their ground penetrating devices.
At around 9 p.m., protesters practically blocked the entire portion of the Carlos P. Garcia highway, about 300 meters from the compound where at least 2,000 troops arrived in the last two days in search of Quiboloy.
A big truck perpendicular to the road blocked all traffic from the highway as crowds began to gather. Some had placards that read, “Law enforcers now law breakers.” The crowd called Torre and even President Marcos names.
City Hall also announced that the rally was “legitimate” as it had a special permit signed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte on Sunday. The special permit was requested by Dixter Manaday, executive pastor of KJC, to hold a prayer rally and candle lighting at the KJC compound at 6 p.m. onwards to call for justice for KJC, whose head had been subject to arrest because of child abuse, sexual abuse, and human trafficking in Davao and Pasig city courts.
Later, the call spread on social media, asking people to unite and troop to the KJC compound to join the rally.