MANILA, Philippines – President Marcos refuted claims of “excessive use of force” during the police break-in into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City for the arrest of fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy that has gone missing for days since last weekend.
Various personalities including Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, have denounced the operation saying the use of 2000-strong force is too much for the arrest of one man and five other co-accused.
“The reason we did this was so that we could maintain the peace. The only way to maintain peace is to make sure that the area is safe and secure. And considering this is a 30-hectare compound kailangan mo talaga ng maraming hindi mo pwede gawin ito na isang dosenang pulis,” Marcos said in an interview Tuesday.
The President said the mere inspection of a 30-hectare compound alone warrants not a small-scale deployment of authority.
Tension broke between police authorities and Quiboloy’s supporters resulting in heated encounters. Some KOJC members accused the police of manhandling them, prompting a few to file a complaint for sustaining injuries. This however was denied by authorities.
“What they are talking about political na yan. Hindi na totoo yan. [alleged physical injuries] You go to any human rights advocate, there’s nothing that we did, lahat ng pumasok na pulis hindi armado walang baril kahit isa, hindi kami gumamit ng teargas, wala kaming ginawang ganon. So anong human rights violation?” Marcos said.
“Maraming nasaktan na supporter ng Kingdom of Jesus Christ, maraming nasaktan na pulis,” he said.
For the part of KOJC, chief legal counsel Israelite Torreon apologized for the high emotions of the members that led to tensions with the police and a number of private citizens coming to and from the Davao City airport.
The President slammed the alleged sex offender for supposedly hiding behind his followers.
“Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung bakit dinadamay ni Quiboloy ang mga tauhan niya kasi sinasabak niya ‘yung mga tauhan niya eh wala namang kasalanan ‘yang mga ‘yan,” Marcos said.
They just believe they are looking for an answer, a value system and they think they have found it in Quiboloy but they did not sign up to be in the frontline of this kind of thing that’s happening now that they will protect him from arrest even if he has cases filed against him not only here in the Philippines but also in the United States,” he said.
Quiboloy and five others are facing human trafficking and child abuse cases before a Pasig City and a Davao City court.
