DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 Sept) – “Divine providence” was how the regional police chief described the Senate investigation called by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on September 6 as it enabled them to present to the public what they have accomplished and the many challenges they faced during the police operations. It also allowed them to go “gloves off” to locate and arrest Pastor Apollo Quiboloy at the Bible school of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound two days thereafter.
Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Police Regional Office-11 (PRO-11) director, told reporters at Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido in this city Sunday that he was notified about the Senate investigation last September 3 or three days ahead of the scheduled probe, and was grateful that the police would be given the chance to explain their side to the public.
“Yung pagkatanggap ko ng Senate hearing na notice grabe pasalamat ko sa Diyos. Diyos ko, salamat po. Binigay talaga ng Diyos yun. Divine providence yun (When I received the notice about the Senate hearing, I was really thankful. It was given by God. It was Divine providence),” he said on the arrest of Quiboloy, the self-proclaimed appointed “son of God.”
He recalled that police did not have any other opportunity “to present what we found so far and our progress to the media without sounding like a cry baby.”
“Kaya ako sa buong episode nato kahit masama akong tao, feeling ko talaga ginamit tayo ng Diyos para paluin si Quiboloy. Kung masama tayong tao, mas masama si Quiboloy. Pinalo na talaga sya ng Diyos (That’s why even if in this whole episode I’m the bad person, I really feel that God used us to beat Quiboloy. If we are bad people, Quiboloy is even worse. God really beat him),” he added.
At the Senate investigation, Torre showed video footage of some policewomen being frisked by Quiboloy’s followers outside the ACQ College of Ministries, or the Bible school, prompting dela Rosa to comment that it was too risky for them to enter the compound unarmed.
Torre said that the statements of Sen. Dela Rosa prompted him to order a final assault on KOJC compound initially the following day at 1 p.m. Saturday, after the Senate investigation, but postponed this on Sunday at 1 p.m. in consideration of the bar operations of the Jose Maria College (JMC)-College Law. Day 1 of the bar exams was September 8.
He added that he told Quiboloy’s chief counsel, Israelito Torreon that he was resetting the “gloves off” operation to 1 p.m. on September 8 as the police was determined to carry out the operations on their own terms.
“It will be all our way. Tapos na ang ‘your way.’ Tapos na ang pagbibigay, wala ng bigayan ito (‘Your way’ is over. There’s no more giving)… At the very least, magigiba dun ang Bible school (the Bible school will be destroyed). Let’s assault and look for him. Tapos na ang pagbibigay (The giving is over). We don’t come knocking,” he said.
The police general added that he was determined to carry out the assault on a weekend as he was certain that the counsels of KOJC would obtain another judicial relief to restrain them once the courts reopen on Monday.
He said the police were already certain that Quiboloy was hiding at the Bible school.
According to Torre, around 500 Special Action Forces personnel were deployed around the Bible school and another 500 from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-Special Weapons and Tactics around the JMC. The Bible school is located just behind the JMC.
The police operations at the KOJC compound started on August 24 and ended on September 8 when Quiboloy and co-accused were arrested.
Quiboloy and his co-accused pleaded not guilty, in separate arraignments last September 13, to child abuse and sexual abuse charges before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Quezon City, and qualified human trafficking charges before the RTC in Pasig City.
His co-accused include Jackielyn W. Roy, Barangay Tamayong chair Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid C. Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes. Paulene was arrested last July 11 at her residence in Emily Homes Subdivision in Barangay Cabantian here. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
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