Kingdom of Jesus Christ Pastor Apollo Quiboloy (File photo from the Official X account of Apollo Quiboloy)
MANILA, Philippines — The chaos that happened in the compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) could have been avoided if televangelist Apollo Quiboloy had appeared before the Senate or the court from the beginning, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday.
In a statement on Monday, Hontiveros urged Quiboloy to come forward publicly to end the ongoing turmoil.
On Saturday, around 2,000 Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel raided the compound of KJC in Davao City in a new effort to execute an arrest warrant against Quiboloy, who is facing charges of child abuse, sexual abuse, and qualified trafficking.
READ: Alleged human trafficking victims rescued from KJC Compound
In response to this, KJC members on Sunday staged a rally.
“Quiboloy, matatapos ang lahat ng ito kung magpakita ka na sa publiko,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
(Quiboloy, all of this will come to an end if you come out in public.)
Hontiveros likewise called for de-escalation of tension from both the PNP and the members of the KJC.
She highlighted that the police must ensure that no violence occurs during their operations.
READ: Quiboloy still inside KJC compound – Davao PNP
“Walang mamamayan ang dapat masaktan sa proseso ng pagdakip kay Quiboloy. Our law enforcers must practice maximum tolerance,” Hontiveros said.
(No citizen must be hurt during the process of arresting Quiboloy. Our law enforcers must practice maximum tolerance.)
Similarly, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero agreed with the statement issued by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Davao City Chapter.
On Sunday, the IBP-Davao urged the PNP officers executing warrants of arrest and those affected by the enforcement to respect the rule of law and sobriety in its application.
“As a lawyer and an officer of the court, I am in complete agreement with the statement issued by IBP-Davao City,” Escudero said in a message to reporters also on Monday.
Escudero also echoed the calls for Quiboloy to surrender to avoid further escalation and loss of lives.
“I likewise join Sen. [Ronald] Dela Rosa in calling on and urging Pastor Quiboloy to surrender in order to avoid any further aggravation and worsening of the situation where there may be more needless loss of lives as well as an increasing disrespect for the rule of law and our law enforcers,” Escudero said.
As of Sunday, Regional Police Chief Brig. General Nicolas Torre III said that Quiboloy remains inside the KJC and disclosed that they have discovered an “underground area” where the religious leader might be hiding. Arianne Denisse Cagsawa, INQUIRER.net