Court grants temporary protection order for Quiboloy group

Metro Manila, Philippines — A Davao court issued a temporary protection order for the religious group of fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

The local court released the order on the fourth day of officials attempting to serve arrest warrants against Quiboloy for child and sexual abuse charges.

It directed the Davao police to cease and desist from acts that may threaten the life, liberty, or security of KOJC members.

The regional police were also directed to remove all barricades from the access to the KOJC compound.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said they will heed the order but noted that the court did not mention halting police operations.

“Dapat we should advise their ano na abisuhan ang mga miyembro nila. Paliwanagan nila na wala mismo sa order na sinasabi umalis ang mga [pulis],” Abalos told reporters in a phone call.

[Translation: They should advise their members that the order does not say anything about police withdrawing from their posts.]

“Maganda ang development ngayon, napakaganda, he said. “Talagang ito na, makikita na natin si Quiboloy.”

[Translation: The development is good. We will see Quiboloy soon.]

Abalos also said that they will file a petition of clarification with the court since police operations are based on arrest warrants also issued by a court.

Philippine National Police spokesperson PCol Jean Fajardo echoed Abalos’ remark.

“Wala po munang dapat ipagdiwang sa ngayon dahil malinaw naman po ang nakasaad sa temporary protection order. They may have a different interpretation at respetuhin po natin 'yung desisyon at order ng korte,” Fajardo said in a press briefing.

[Translation: There is no cause for celebration for now because what the temporary protection order stated is clear. They may have a different interpretation but let us respect the decision and order of the court.]

“On the part of the PNP, malinaw po, hindi po tayo titigil sa pag-i-implement nitong warrants of arrest at hopefully, malapit na po tayo du'n sa ina-achieve pong goal,” she said.

[On the part of the PNP, it is clear, we will not stop implementing the warrants of arrest and hopefully, we’re close to achieving our goal.]

On Monday, the police sent an augmentation team in Davao.

Fajardo said that the police have high morale as they are guided by PNP chief PGen. Rommel Marbil in the area.

Since the police attempted to serve arrest warrants to Quiboloy on Aug. 24, KOJC members and police clashed, with individuals from both sides reportedly injured.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remained firm that the police operation did not violate any rights.

He said the deployment of around 2,000 unarmed police officers was to cover the 30-hectare compound.

Marcos said the police did not use teargas as claimed by KOJC members.

He said he did not understand how Quiboloy’s supporters rallied against the police operation.

“They [KOJC members] just believe they are looking for a value system. They think they found it with 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 when he has cases filed against him, not only here in the Philippines, but also in the United States,” he told reporters in an ambush interview.