Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy did not surrender, but was arrested by authorities, President Marcos said.
Marcos explained that Quiboloy would not resurface, if he was not pursued by the police. Thus, the President thought it was an arrest.
His statement came as a response to questions whether or not the fugitive pastor surrendered.
"Ganito naiisip ko e, hindi siya lilitaw kung hindi namin siya hinabol nang husto (This is what I think, he would have not resurfaced if we did not pursued him hard)," Marcos said in interview on Monday morning, Sept. 9, hours after Quiboloy was nabbed in Davao City.
Marcos further said that when a wanted person is surrendering, he must personally appear before a police station or an official authority to declare that he is surrendering, knowing that there is already an arrest order against him.
"Hindi ganyan yung nangyari. Ang nangyari, napilitan siyang lumabas dahil malapit na ang pulis sa kanya (That was not what happened. What happened was he was forced to resurface because the police are getting close in arresting him)," Marcos insisted.
Amid the arrest, Marcos acknowledged Quiboloy for "displaying a modicum of leadership" for finally resurfacing after his followers commit to sacrifice themselves for him, saying he did not want them to do so.
What was AFP's role in Quiboloy's arrest?
Another question raised about the arrest was whether it was the police or the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who caught Quiboloy.
Marcos said it was a police operation, and AFP was there as an augmentation unit. However, he also revealed that Quiboloy wanted AFP to be there because "he does not trust the police."
"Well, ganyan naman talaga. Madalas naman mangyari 'yan na may augmentation sa AFP (that' really how it is. Oftentimes, the AFP sends an augmentation)," Marcos said when asked what was AFP's participation in the operation.
"But let's be very clear, this was a police-led operation. It was a police operation. Kung ano man ang involvement ng AFP dyan (The AFP's involvement there), as I said augmentation," Marcos added.
The President also stressed that all the intelligence services were involved in the police operation. The AFP was also there as relievers for the police troop that inspected the KOJC compound in Davao City for 24 to 36 hours.
Marcos also bared that over the last two to three weeks, they have been getting messages and feelers from Quiboloy, including his conditions.
"At lagi namin sinasabi, patuloy lang ang aming gagawin (We always say, we just keep doing what we have to). You have to decide what you want to do. We are ordered by the court to enforce this order and that's what we are going to do," he said, stressing that they did not give in with Quiboloy's conditions.
"And the putting of conditions is not an option for somebody who is actually a fugitive," he stressed.
On Sunday, Sept. 8, Marcos said they again received a message saying Quiboloy was ready to turn himself in without any conditions.
"So sabi namin fine. Pero sabi nga sana may presence ng AFP dahil wala daw siyang tiwala sa police. So fine, yan ang ginawa namin (We said fine. But he requested for the AFP's presence because he does not trust the police. Fine, that's what we are going to do)," he recalled.
No extradition request yet
There is no extradition request yet from the United States on Quiboloy, Marcos also said, adding that he will have to face all the charges filed against him here.
"The extradition request is not yet there, besides, the judicial process that Apollo Quiboloy is going to have to go through now locally still have to be done, because what has been done is we have implemented and enforced an arrest warrant that has been issued by the court," the President said.
He added that Quiboloy's cases are now in the court's hands.
"So that's the situation now. We will have to look at that but for the moment, we are not looking into the extradition, we are now after the pending cases and complaints against him here in the Philippines)," Marcos further said.
Aside from facing human trafficking and child abuse cases, both of them are non-bailable offenses, Quiboloy is also on the FBI’s wanted list after a Los Angeles court in 2011 charged him and his associates with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, sex trafficking of children, conspiracy, and bulk cash smuggling.
'Do not leave until you get him'
Marcos lauded the police force for the successful operation which he tagged as "police work at its best."
"I'm happy that this is over. We can now resolve and look at the allegations that have been made against him. We have to, I have to commend our PNP (Philippine National Police), this is police work at is best, this is what the PNP can do," he said.
"At nakita naitn, desidido ang mga pulis at ang instruction ko sa kanila, itong last time pagpasok natin wag kayong aalis diyan hangga't makuha n'yo siya (And we saw that they were determined and my instruction to them was to never leave until they get him)," he added.
While a lot of government agencies were engaged in the arrest of Quiboloy, Marcos said "in the end, it was a police action that brought Apollo Quiboloy to the arms of the law."
"We had to engage so many parts of the agencies, mga technical, intelligence services, lahat kasama lahat diyan (everyone was involved)," he said.
"But it was, in the end, it was police action that brought Apollo Quiboloy to the arms of the law," he added.
No special treatment
Although Quiboloy is a prominent personality, Marcos assured the public that there will be no special treatment for him.
"But again there is no special treatment, although he is a very prominent person, actually, kahit may magsabi na gawin nating special treatment, hindi namin alam gawin 'yon e (even if someone insists for a special treatment). We don't know how much special treatment is," Marcos said.
"So we will treat him like any other arrested person and we will respect his rights," he added.
"We will go through the process, the process will be transparent, everyone who is involved will be accountable. And we will demonstrate once again to the world that our judicial system in the Philippines is active, is vibrant and is working," he further said.