Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy was given 24-hours to surrender after the police forces searching for him were able to pinpoint the exact location inside the 30-hectare religious property where he was hiding, a police official disclosed on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Col. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said it happened at around 1:30 p.m. when police forces confirmed the presence of Quiboloy inside one of the buildings at the KOJC compound.
“There was a negotiation for their peaceful surrender because we gave them an ultimatum that within 24 hours they have to surrender. So there was a negotiation and this was a joint effort of the PNP and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines),” said Fajardo in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Aside from Quiboloy, Fajardo said four other co-accused of Quiboloy also showed up from inside the building. They were identified as Crisente and Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Cemañes, and Jackielyn Roy.
The sixth co-accused, Pauleen Canada, had been collared in an intelligence-driven operation in a subdivision in Davao City two months ago.
All of them are facing a case of violation of Anti-Trafficking in Person Act of 2023, a non-bailable offense.
Quiboloy, however, is facing a separate case of violation of Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act), also a non-bailable case.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had earlier offered P10-million reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of Quiboloy and P1 million each for Crisente and Ingrid Canada, Cemañes, and Roy.
Timeline to surrender
Following the discovery of the hiding place, a negotiation started, and later, Quiboloy reportedly agreed to surrender—not to the police but to the military.
Fajardo said they took custody of Quiboloy and the four others at around 5:30 p.m., and, at around 6:30 p.m., they were escorted to a military cargo plane at the Davao City airport.
Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, director of the Police Regional Office 11, said that they first saw a C-130 plane landing at the Davao airport on Sunday afternoon.
After which, they were instructed to allow a nine-vehicle convoy from the private hangar of the KOJC, and escort them towards the nearby airport where the military cargo plane was waiting.
The KOJC compound is located near the Davao International Airport.
Torre said operatives of the Aviation Security Group escorted the convoy to the airport.
The military cargo plane landed at the Villamor Airbase at around 8:30 p.m., and, at 9:10 p.m., Fajardo said Quiboloy and his four co-accused were taken to Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Vindicated
The surrender of Quiboloy was a vindication on the part of the PNP, which had insisted to remain inside the KOJC compound to search for him, citing an intelligence report that he had been inside the compound all along.
More than 2,000 policemen entered the KOJC compound on Aug. 24 and started searching all the buildings, amid the alleged resistance of Quiboloy’s followers.
After several days, the pressure for the police forces to leave started following the issuance of a temporary protection order (TPO) from a Davao City court, as well as statements from a handful of politicians who insisted that the police presence was already against the law.
The court order was nullified and despite the conduct of a Senate investigation on the legality of the operation at the KOJC compound, the PNP insisted to remain inside the compound to search.
At around 5:30 p.m., Fajardo said the PNP gained custody of not only Quiboloy but also the four other co-accused identified as Crisente and Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Cemañes, and Jackielyn Roy.
PNP Custodial Center
Fajardo said Quiboloy and his four co-accused were served with the arrest warrant and were read the Miranda rights.
They were then subjected to booking procedures, which included the taking of mugshots, fingerprints and the medical examination.
Quiboloy and his four co-accused are expected to stay at the Custodial Center—where dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, is currently staying.
Fajardo said the PNP will return the arrest warrant and inform the court in Quezon City, where all the charges against Quiboloy and five co-accused were transferred, on Monday, Sept. 9.