DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Preacher Apollo Quiboloy, the subject of a 16-day search by police in his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) property in Davao City, surrendered to authorities on Sunday evening, September 8 and was flown to Manila for detention as he faces trafficking and abuse charges.
The announcement of his arrest was first made by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on his Facebook page at 6:23 pm saying “Nahuli na si Pastor Apollo Quiboloy!” (Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is now arrested!). A minute later, his page posted a photo of Quiboloy, wearing a cap and Muslim shawl, accompanied by his lawyer Israelito Torreon and a police official later identified as General Romeo Macapas who took the photo.
The preacher’s arrest was confirmed by Philippine National Police Regional Office XI (PRO-XI) director General Nicolas Torre III in an interview with reporters minutes after Abalos’ post.
He confirmed that Quiboloy, with his four associates and co-accused, was brought out from the KOJC compound by a convoy of nine vehicles that proceeded to the Tactical Operations Group Davao at the old Davao City airport where he was flown to Manila via a C-130 plane.
Torre expressed relief that the operation to arrest Quiboloy was over, thanking fellow police officers, as he said he never doubted the intelligence information that the preacher was hiding inside KOJC.
Ultimatum
In Manila later that night, PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said police force gave Quiboloy an ultimatum to surrender within 24 hours, or else authorities will force their way further into his compound to arrest him. This led to Quiboloy’s camp to start negotiations around 1:30 pm on Sunday.
“Kanina pong mga bandang ala-una y media ng hapon ay nagkaroon ng negosasyon para po sa mapayapa po nilang pagsuko dahil binigyan po natin sila ng ultimatum na within 24 hours ay kailangan na po silang sumuko at nagkaroon po ng negotiation, so ito po ay joint efforts ng PNP and AFP (There was a negotiation that took place around 1:30 in the afternoon for their peaceful surrender, because they were given an ultimatum to surrender within 24 hours, which led to negotiations, which was made by joint efforts of the PNP and AFP),” Fajardo said in a brief interview at Camp Crame.
The PNP revealed that Quiboloy turned himself to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) at around 5:30 pm. Also arrested are his associates Crisente Canada, Ingrid Canada, Syliva Cemañes and Jackielyn Roy.
They arrived at Villamor Airbase at around 8:30 pm and were taken to Camp Crame for booking.
Quiboloy is facing charges of qualified human trafficking, child and sexual abuse with two warrants of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 in Davao City and the Pasig City RTC. The Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the cases against Quiboloy from Davao to Quezon City to prevent “influence” from Quiboloy supporters in handling the case.
The preacher also faced arrest by the Senate for contempt by failing to appear in the committee hearing on alleged trafficking and abuse of former KOJC members.
Quiboloy is also on the wanted list of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation for human trafficking.
“Ultimate sacrifice”
Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, posted a statement saying the preacher’s decision to surrender was made as he has to make the “ultimate sacrifice” to deescalate the tension and “sufferings” of his followers due to the police operations in his KOJC compound.
“He does not want to see lawless violence to continue to happen in the KOJC Compound and he could no longer bear to witness a second longer the sufferings that his flock was experiencing for many days,” his lawyer posted on his Facebook account.
Torreon said it was “heart-wrenching” for Quiboloy to see the police operations “convert his beloved KOJC Compound into a police garrison, the sacred KOJC Cathedral being desecrated, the JMC (Jose Maria College) turned into a mining pit, his followers a recipient of brutalities,” that made him decide to surface.
Torreon said the negotiations for his surrender were facilitated by Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib, Army Major General Allan Hambala, Colonel Guilbert Roy Ruis, Lieutenant Colonel Jovily Carmel Cabading, Lt. Col. Pete Malaluan, Lt. Col. Ricardo Garcia, police officers General Romeo Macapas, Major Gen. Leo Francisco, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr, Col. Chojilun Caduyac, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Colonel Mike Mangahis, Major Edgardo Bahan, and retired Colonel Emil Zosa.
After Quiboloy’s arrest, KOJC members held a prayer, and reached out to some police officers with hugs, which stood in contrast to the past two weeks of the operations marked with tense stand-offs and taunting from KOJC members impeding the police search operation. (davaotoday.com)
davao city, kojc, Quiboloy
