Arrested fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) as well as his four co-accused of various criminal charges will remain at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Rafael Crame despite a court order for their immediate transfer to Quezon City Jail.
In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said a regional trial court (RTC) in Pasig City ordered that Quiboloy and his followers remain at the PNP Custodial Center.
“The RTC Pasig also issued an order directing the PNP to retain custody of the said individuals because their case in Pasig is non-bailable,” she said.
“So, we don’t want to run the risk of transferring them there to QC and they post bail and the PNP would lose control. We just have to really harmonize these court orders,” Fajardo added.
The KOJC founder and his four cohorts are facing qualified human trafficking charges before the Pasig RTC Branch 159. Offenses under Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking of Persons
Act of 2003 are non-bailable.
In a commitment order dated September 9, 2024, Quezon City RTC Branch 106 Presiding Judge Noel Parel ordered the PNP to transfer Quiboloy and his four co-accused to the Quezon City Jail.
The order tasked the chief of the PNP Headquarters Support Service to “transfer and commit” Quiboloy and Cresente Canada to the New Quezon City Jail on Payatas Road.
Meanwhile, Fajardo explained when asked about the petition of Quiboloy’s camp to have the religious leader transferred from the PNP custodial center to the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) that it is the Department of Justice (DOJ) who should file an objection on the said issue.
“It was the DOJ which filed the cases, so it should be the DOJ which should file the comment or objection, because the case has already been filed. The only role of the PNP here is that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group served the warrant,” she said.
“In all the processes here, we need the DOJ. Today, the PNP and DOJ will have a meeting to discuss what will be the next move,” Fajardo noted.
KOJC lead legal counsel Israelito Torreon said on Monday that they will file a petition seeking to put Pastor Quiboloy under the custody of the AFP or under house arrest.
Quiboloy’s three female co-accused—Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemañes—were all ordered to be transferred to the Quezon City Jail – Female Dormitory in Camp Karingal.
Aside from human trafficking, the five are also facing charges for sexual abuse of minors.
