Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy made a sacrifice when he surrendered to the police and military forces on Sunday, Sept, 8.
That is according to his lawyer Israelito Torreon who said that his client's heart bled after the KOJC compound was turned into a police garrison starting Aug. 24 when the cops entered the compound in Davao City to serve the arrest warrant against him.
Quiboloy is facing human trafficking and child abuse cases, both of them are non-bailable offenses.
“Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy was actually waiting for positive results vis-a-vis the legal remedies that his lawyers opted to avail, hence, he was out of reach for a number of days,” said Torreon in a statement.
“However, heart-wrenching and mind-boggling events transpired where a warrant of arrest has been turned into a license to convert his beloved KOJC Compound into a police garrison, the sacred KOJC Cathedral being desecrated, the JMC School turned into a mining pit, his followers as recipients of brutalities, one of whom even died, scores injured, many got arbitrarily arrested, vehicles unilaterally confiscated, all of which caused Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s heart to bleed,” he added.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier said that Quiboloy was given 24 hours to surrender after the police were able to pinpoint his exact hiding place inside the 30-hectare KOJC compound.
The negotiations started at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday and according to PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, they were able to take custody of Quiboloy and four other co-accused at around 5:30 p.m. on the same day.
The four others were Crisente and Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Cemañes, and Jackielyn Roy.
The police forces, led by Police Regional Office 11 Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, earlier vowed not to leave the KOJC compound until Quiboloy is arrested—his confidence was based on the reliable information that the religious leader was inside the compound all along.
Torreon said the surrender of Quiboloy was a way of finally stopping what he described as lawless violence inside the KOJC compound.
“He could not bear to witness a second longer the sufferings that his flock was experiencing for many days,” said Torreon.
Police and government officials have been encouraging Quiboloy to surrender since the arrest warrant was issued against him in April this year.
Quiboloy, however, would not heed and Torreon said this was because availing his right to await the result of the legal remedies being resorted to by his lawyers.
“Even if he has the right to await the result of the legal remedies being resorted to by his lawyers, he decided to make the ultimate sacrifice by surrendering himself to the PNP and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines),” said Torreon.
Torreon also expressed gratitude to the police and military officials who facilitated the surrender.