POLICE CORDON Civil disobedience management troops of the Philippine National Police remain outside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City on August 27, 2024, the fourth day of their standoff with followers of fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy. —INQUIRER file photo / JOSELLE R. BADILLA
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has inspected about half of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) 30-hectare compound in Davao City as the search for fugitive televangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy approached the seventh day, according to spokesperson Col. Jean. Fajardo.
Fajardo said this was according to Davao police regional office director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
“According to him (Torre), more or less, around close to 40 to 50 percent [of the compound] were inspected,” Fajardo said in a press conference.
Fajardo noted that the police are zeroing in on the “specific areas” of the suspected underground facility where Quiboloy is believed to be hiding.
“We are looking at an underground facility made out of thick stones, thick metals,” Fajardo said.
She noted that the underground facility “was built and made to withstand any man-made calamity or even natural-made disasters.”
“We have specific areas, but I hope you understand that we could not give the specific [areas] so as not to telegraph [our moves],” she said.
On Saturday, around 2,000 members of the PNP raided the 30-hectare KOJC compound.
Quiboloy and the five co-accused face child abuse cases before the Davao City court. One of them has been in the custody of authorities since July.
The religious leader also has standing arrest warrants for human trafficking issued by a Pasig City court.