DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao Region’s police chief along with several police officers from the intelligence and Special Forces were relieved from their post following the operation that failed to arrest preacher Apollo Quiboloy.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the sacking of top officials was made to give way for an impartial investigation to determine lapses and violation of operational procedures on the conduct of the raid.
In a memorandum, Brigadier General Aligre Martinez is relieved from his post as director of Police Regional Office 11, Also relieved are Directorate for Operations head Maj. Gen. Ronald Oliver Lee and Colonel Edwin Portento of the Intelligence Group.
Replacing Martinez as regional director is Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, who is head of the PNP Communications and Electronic Service and former director of the Quezon City Police District.
Martinez had just recently assumed the regional top post on April 25, will be reassigned to the personnel holding and admin unit of the police Directorate for Personnel and Records Management.
Twelve other police officers were also relieved from their posts, including nine from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, two from the Special Action Force (SAF) and one from the Davao City Traffic Enforcement Unit.
The operation to arrest Quiboloy was conducted on the early dawn of June 10 in five places owned by the preacher.
The operation failed to locate Quiboloy, which resulted to questions raised by officials on poor intelligence work.
READ: https://davaotoday.com/headline/police-failure-to-catch-quiboloy-raises-questions/
The operation also raised complaints from Quiboloy’s group, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJOC), who claimed that members were physically hurt and the gates of their prayer mountain was damaged.
Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israel Torreon, also said the operation was “illegal” as the police had arrest warrants and not search warrants yet proceeded to enter the KJOC properties without consent of the group.
The Police Regional Office Region 11 said it will still continue to search for Quiboloy, who is facing charges of trafficking, child and sexual abuse. The cases were ordered transferred from Davao to Quezon City courts by the Supreme Court to avoid influence from Quiboloy’s group.
The fugitive preacher remains in hiding since February, as he claims threats to his life and security if he is arrested.(davaotoday,com)
davao city, DCPO
