Three Davao police officials and 12 other cops have been relieved to give way to an investigation into the allegations of overkill when arrest warrants were served in raids on the properties of fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said yesterday.
She identified the officials as Police Regional Office 11 director Police Brigadier General Aligre Martinez, PNP Directorate for Operations head Police Major General Ronald Lee, and Intelligence Group director Police
Colonel Edwin Portento. Also relieved were nine members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, two from Special Action Force, and one from the Traffic Enforcement Unit, all
of whom have been reassigned to Police Regional Office IV-A in Calabarzon.
“We’ll see if the warrant was served above board, if it did not violate our) police operational procedure on June 10 that led to this issue of the police actions being a supposed overkill,” she added.
The warrants were concurrently served at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, the Prayer Mountain in Tamayon, the Glory Mountain in Purok 6, the QSands Baptismal Resort in Samal, and the Kitbog Compound in Malungon, Sarangani.
This was implemented as soon as the PNP received information about the possible location of the fugitive pastor, including KOJC members Jackielyn W. Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes.
The PNP spokesperson, however, reiterated that the service of the warrant was “a lawful operation.”
Fajardo stressed that the number of officers at the scene was needed in anticipation of possible resistance from Quiboloy’s supporters who were already gathered at the KOJC Compound and armed with a water cannons to prevent police from entering the premises.
Armed also with bolos, six members of the KOJC attacked police officers at Glory Mountain and were soon charged with obstruction of justice.
The fugitive pastor of the KOJC is facing charges ranging from child trafficking, sexual abuse, to cruelty and exploitation.