MANILA: The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday (Aug 9) called the reported tunnels inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City an “open secret.”
PNP spokesperson Col Jean Fajardo said this was one of the factors the police are considering when planning the serving of the warrant against embattled religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy (pic), who is believed to be hiding in the sprawling 30-hectare compound.
“I think it’s an open secret,” Fajardo said of the reported tunnels in Quiboloy’s compound.
Last June 10, some 100 policemen stormed the premises of the KOJC compound to serve the warrants of arrest against Quiboloy, but they were prevented by its religious members from entering.
Fajardo recalled that there was “a deliberate attempt to derail and delay the service of warrant” against Quiboloy, noting that sirens were also heard in the compound during the June 10 incident.
“I don’t know if it’s a signal to anyone to give them the opportunity to hide and even escape,” Fajardo said of the sirens.
“This is one of the challenges we are facing with respect to the service of warrant against Pastor Quiboloy and other suspects,” she added.
Fajardo said the police have established checkpoints near the compound to prevent the suspects from leaving the area.
Authorities noted that there is a hangar for Quiboloy’s private aircraft at the KOJC, which he could use to escape, according to Davao police regional office director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
One of Quiboloy’s helicopters was even recently active, but police then alerted the airport authorities, according to Torre.
The pilots of Quiboloy told the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines that they were only “warming up” the helicopter, according to Fajardo.
Fajardo also said authorities are closely monitoring the movement of Quiboloy’s air assets.
The police spokesperson also noted that one of Quiboloy’s private planes was covered by the freeze order of the Court of Appeals (CA).
CA on Thursday said it had imposed a 20-day freeze order on Quiboloy’s bank accounts, real estate properties, and other assets.
Furthermore, a P10 million reward would be given to anyone with information leading to the arrest of Quiboloy, according to Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
Quiboloy and the five co-accused faced child abuse cases before the Davao City court. He also has standing arrest warrants for human trafficking issued by a Pasig City court. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
