Deploying thousands of policemen to arrest Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy was necessary, considering how huge the compound is.
President Marcos made the statement when sought for a response on claims that the operation to arrest Quiboloy to no avail was "overkill" and considered a human rights violation.
"Meron bang human rights violations kung maraming pulis (Would there be human rights violations if there are many policemen)? I don’t think so," Marcos retaliated in an interview on the sidelines of the oathtaking of new elected officials of several media organizations on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
The President, however, explained that it was necessary to deploy 3,000 policemen to serve the arrest warrant against Quiboloy at the KOJC compound in Davao City given that the area is a 30-hectare property.
"The reason we did this was so that we could maintain the peace. The only way to maintain the peace is to make sure that the area is safe and is secure. And considering that this is a 30-hectare compound, kailangan mo talaga ng maraming tao. Hindi mo pwedeng gawin ito ng isang dosenang pulis (you really need more people. You cannot do this with only a dozen of policemen)," Marcos said.
Marcos also hits back at those claiming that the operation, where at least one supporter of the pastor died, was a human rights violation, saying that their claims are "political," in the same manner that his administration was accused of politicizing the hunt on Quiboloy.
"I think what they are talking about, political na 'yan. Hindi na totoo 'yan (That's political. That is not true)," Marcos said.
The Chief Executive further pointed out that the policemen were not armed, and they did not use teargas for it to be tagged a human rights violation.
"You can go to any human rights advocate, there’s nothing that we did… Lahat ng pumasok na pulis, hindi armado. Walang baril kahit isa. Hindi kami gumamit ng teargas. Wala kaming ginawang ganun. So anong human rights violation? (No policeman was armed. We did not use teargas. We did nothing like that. So where is the human rights violation there)," Marcos said.
Marcos also stressed that if the Philippine National Police (PNP) only deployed a few officers, there would be more people who would get hurt.
'They did not sign up to be on the frontline'
Marcos also lamented the situation of Quiboloy's supporters and men who are being deployed to protect him from the arrest.
"Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung bakit dinadamay ni Quiboloy ang mga tauhan niya. Kasi sinasabak niya yung mga tauhan nya. E, wala namang kasalanan 'yang mga 'yan (I do not understand why is Quiboloy involving his men. Because he is deploying his men while they did nothing)," the President expressed.
"They just believe that they are looking for an answer, a values system and they think they have found it in Quiboloy. But they did not sign up to be in the frontline of this kind of thing that is happening now, that they will protect him from arrest, even when he has cases filed against him not only here in the Philippines but also in the United States. So, I suppose I can understand their disagreement with us, even anger. But what all the police are doing is enforcing the warrant of arrest against Apollo Quiboloy. That’s all they’re doing," he added.