The Philippine National Police (PNP) will not halt its search for fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy inside a 30-hectare compound in Davao City, even after a court ordered the removal of police barricades in the area.
Police Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba, spokesperson of Task Force Teknon Alpha, confirmed that police operations within the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound are ongoing. “We acknowledge the temporary protection order issued by the court, but this does not prevent us from enforcing the warrant against Quiboloy,” Alba stated in a an ABS-CBN News report.
The Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 had previously instructed the PNP to remove barriers around the KOJC compound, citing concerns over the infringement of the religious, academic, and property rights of its members. The temporary protection order also directed the PNP to cease actions that could threaten the rights and properties of the petitioners.
Despite these orders, Alba clarified that the police are committed to their mission. “There is no obstruction to passage; ingress and egress are free,” he said, emphasizing that the barricades were placed by members of the religious group, not the police.
Quiboloy, facing charges of abuse and trafficking, remains a fugitive. Police efforts to locate and arrest him continue unabated, with Alba stating, “Our ultimate objective is to deliver the subject of the warrant of arrest.”
Meanwhile, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines President, Atty. Antonio Pido, noted that the police could legally remain at the compound as long as there is reasonable belief that Quiboloy is present. The duration of their stay, he explained, depends on the size of the property and the difficulty of the search. The KOJC leadership may file a case against the police if they can prove that the operation is conducted in bad faith or has caused irreparable harm.