A Regional Trial Court (RTC) handling the case of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy ordered his transfer to the Pasig City Jail, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said they will comply with the court order by directly transporting Quiboloy to the Pasig City Jail from the Philippine Heart Center where he is currently confined after being granted a medical furlough,
“We expect that we will be transferring the custody of Apollo Quiboloy to the Pasig City Jail pursuant to the court order issued,” said Quiboloy.
Quiboloy has been staying at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame since his arrest on Sept. 8 after a 16-day operation inside the KOJC compound in Davao City.
He was detained at Camp Crame pending the petitions filed by his lawyers for either his hospital arrest or house arrest. During that time, the PNP was also tasked to conduct medical assessment on Quiboloy.
But on Nov. 22, Fajardo said the Pasig City Regional Trial Court issued an order for the transfer of Quiboloy to the Pasig City Jail, which is under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
“His detention at the PNP Custodial Center is just temporary and since we are already done with the medical assessment, there is no more reason for him to stay at Camp Crame,” said Fajardo.
“We welcome the order issued by the court and because it definitely entails financial and human resources whenever we escort him to the hospital or to the court. So definitely this will ease the burden on the part of the HSS (Headquarters Support Service) in providing security escort every time he needs to go out of Camp Crame,” she added.
Quiboloy is facing a case of qualified human trafficking, under Republic Act 9208, a non-bailable offense.
BJMP spokesperson Supt. Jayrex Bustinera assured that there will be no special treatment for Quiboloy: “We treat all PDLs equally.”
The Pasig City Jail has a population of 1,453 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) with 481 percent congestion rate.
The detention facility where Quiboloy will stay is around 20 square meter, according to Bustinera.