President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday denied allegations of abuses in the police operations to serve arrest warrants for accused sex offender and human trafficker Apollo Quiboloy and his accomplices, saying his detractors are only politicizing the issue.
In a media interview in Malacañang, Marcos defended the number of police officers deployed in the 30-hectare property of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City.
“Meron bang human rights violation kung maraming pulis? (Is there already a human rights violation if we deploy a lot of police officers?) I don't think so. The reason we did this was so that we can contain the peace,” Marcos said.
“And considering that this is a 30-heactare compound, kailangan mo talaga ng maraming tao (you really need a lot of people). Hindi mo powedeng gawin ito ng isang dosenang pulis, hindi na bale 'yung lumalaban o nagreresist, nanghaharang. Di na bale muna 'yon, para lang 'yung pag-inspeksyon ng 30 hectares kailangan mo na agad ng maraming tao (You can't do this with a dozen police officers, never mind those who are fighting or resisting, blocking. It doesn't matter, just to inspect 30 hectares you need a lot of people right away),” he added.
The President also said the police officers deployed at KOJC compound are unarmed.
“I think what they're talking about, political na 'yan. Hindi na totoo 'yan (that's political. That's not true anymore) … You go to human rights advocates nothing that we did... lahat ng pumasok na pulis hindi armado, walang baril kahit isa. Hindi kami gumamit ng tear gas, wala kaming ginawang ganoon. So anong human rights violation? (All the police officers who came in were unarmed, not one of them had a gun. We didn't use tear gas, we didn't do anything like that. So what human rights violation?)” Marcos said.
Some 2,000 police officers swooped down at the KOJC compound on Saturday, which is also home to some of his followers, with the hope of finally apprehending the fugitive religious leader.
The authorities are serving the warrant of arrest against Quiboloy and five other KOJC members for charges of child abuse and human trafficking.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) believes Quiboloy is still holed up inside the KOJC compound.
Marcos, in the same interview, also took a swipe at Quiboloy for dragging his followers in the issue.
“Hindi ko nga maintindihan bakit dinadamay ni Quiboloy ang mga tauhan niya, kasi sinasabak niya mga tauhan niya eh wala namang kasalanan mga 'yan (I really don't understand why Quiboloy is dragging his followers because he is putting them at the frontline but they are not guilty),” the President said.
“They just believe, they are looking for an answer, a value system and they think they have found it with Quiboloy, but they did not sign up to be in the frontline of this kind of thing that's happening now,“ he added.
A Mindanao prelate also joined calls for Quiboloy to surrender and face the allegations against him in court.
"Pastor Quiboloy must surrender now for the sake of his people and to stop more loss of lives and damage of property. If he is innocent, there is the court,” Ozamiz Archbishop Martin Jumoad said in an interview with Church-run Radio Veritas Tuesday.
Jumoad said Quiboloy’s surrender would put an end to the standoff between the police and his followers which started over the weekend.
“Rule of Law must prevail and must be respected and obeyed," he said. (with Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
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