DAVAO CITY – Police will file criminal complaints against officials, members, and lawyers of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ who hindered them from serving the arrest warrants against Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and his co-accused recently.
Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Police Regional Office-11 director, said in an interview with a group of journalists at his office at the PRO-11 headquarters in Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido here that around 200 cases could be filed against individuals involved in concealing the suspects and resisting authorities during the 16-day police operation at the KOJC compound in this city.
Torre added that responsible individuals may face charges such as disobedience to a person in authority, direct assault, slander, sedition, and inciting to sedition under the Revised Penal Code, and obstruction of justice under Presidential Decree (PD) 1829. He said police are identifying possible respondents.
Police operations at the 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 on September 13 to child abuse and sexual abuse charges before the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City and qualified human trafficking charges before the RTC in Pasig City.
His co-accused were Jackielyn W. Roy, Barangay Tamayong, Davao City Chairman Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid C. Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes. Paulene was arrested on July 11 in her house in Emily Homes Subdivision in Barangay Cabantian here.
Police Col. Obil Dahap, chief, PRO-11 legal office, added that they are gathering pieces of documentary and object evidence.
“It (liability of the respondents) would depend on their level of participation, whether they can be charged as principals. We will look into that,” he said.
He said that Presidential Decree 1829 punishes any person who is “harboring or concealing” any suspect who “has committed any offense under existing penal laws in order to prevent his arrest prosecution and conviction” and “delaying the prosecution of criminal cases by obstructing the service of process or court orders.”
Dahap said filing the complaints this week is a feasible target.
“That’s the timeline (this week) being given. We have to work towards the realization of that timeline because we believe that all pieces of evidence or persons to be interviewed, they can make themselves available throughout the week, so we will be working double time,” he added.
He said that obstruction of justice under PD 1829 is a “very serious case” as it includes an accessory penalty of permanent disqualification from public service once convicted.