MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, the son of former President Rodrigo Duterte, questioned the legality of operations conducted by police in its latest attempt to arrest alleged rapist and fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy.
Speaking before the Senate panel on justice’s Friday hearing, the Davao mayor said the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) operations, which have been ongoing for 13 days now, have exposed fears and questions about the integrity and legality of police operations.
“Are these operations being done by the PNP still within the bounds of the law? Are the rights of the Filipinos being respected and protected? These are the critical questions that demand answers,” said Duterte.
READ: PNP firm: Quiboloy still at KJC compound
Duterte said he respects the implementation of any warrant as long as it is within the law and does not trample on the constitutional rights of others.
“Dabawenyos are peace-loving people, and we take immense pride in our city’s longstanding peace and order, which we all worked hard to sustain over the years. This is a product of the great collaboration among the law enforcement agencies, the LGU, and the public. We are committed to maintaining this harmony and will continue working towards a safe, peaceful Davao City for all,” he said.
Police lapses?
For his part, Sen. Bato dela Rosa, who was presiding over the hearing, said he feels sorry for the PNP personnel assigned to conduct a raid on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound.
The senator pointed out that these officers have been doing this operation for almost two weeks now.
Despite this going on for a little longer than usual, dela Rosa pointed out that Quiboloy has yet to be found; hence, the implementation of the arrest warrant is still unsuccessful.
“Sa paningin tuloy ng mga tao, mukhang may kakulangan sa ating mga pulis. Lalo pa na laman ng balita ngayon kung paano nahuli kaagad ng Indonesian National Police ang mga taong pinaghahanap ng ating gobyerno,” said dela Rosa.
(Now, the public thinks there are lapses in our police force. Especially since it’s all over the news now how quickly the Indonesian National Police apprehended the individuals our government has been searching for.)
The senator was referring to dismissed Mayor Alice Guo’s case where she was able to flee the country despite an existing arrest warrant and lookout bulletin.
She was apprehended in Indonesia and brought back to the country early Friday morning.
READ: Quiboloy’s conditions before facing charges are ‘immaterial,’ says Marcos