Rodrigo Duterte, VP Sara condemn KOJC compound raid to arrest Apollo Quiboloy
Former president Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte have condemned the police operations in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City that sought to serve an arrest warrant against Apollo Quiboloy.
Both Dutertes issued statements on Facebook, with the elder calling the incident a "trampling" for rights.
"Our country has never been in a more tragic state as it is today. Rights have been trampled upon and our laws, derided," he said.
The ex-president, whose war on drugs is being probed by the International Criminal Court, said that he sympathizes with members of KOJC for "having become victims of political harassment, persecution, violence and abuse of authority."
"This certainly puts a dark stain on the hands of those involved in today's incident, led by no less than the top police official of the region," Rodrigo continued.
He added a call for "the remaining decent and patriotic" government officials to "not allow themselves to be used and to be abusive and violent" when enforcing orders.
For her part, VP Sara said that while she's not opposing arrest warrants, she is against the use of violence against members of the KOJC.
"These acts are not only a blatant violation of Constitutionally-protected rights but a betrayal of the trust that we, Filipinos, place in the very institution sworn to protect and serve us," she said.
The VP also questioned if the "use of force" in executing the warrant of arrest was "because the accused is a known Duterte supporter."
She continued to apologize to members of the KOJC for encouraging them to vote for her 2022 running mate, current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"You deserve better. Filipinos deserve better," Sara ended.
Marcos Jr.'s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, also issued a statement condemning the "excessive show of force" by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
"The disturbance, fear, and even reported death that such a massive show of force caused to bystanders and to those who were simply exercising their Constitutionally-protected rights is unacceptable. I urge the PNP to be more circumspect in their actions, uphold guaranteed freedoms and prioritize the safety of civilians," she said.
On Aug. 24, around 2,000 police officers stormed the KOJC compound in an attempt to arrest Quiboloy, who faces several criminal cases including charges of sexual abuse of children, exploitation, and human trafficking, among others.
The Philippine STAR reported that a 50-year-old member suffered a heart attack during the raid while KOJC Minister Carlo Catiil said several others collapsed inside the compound.
The PNP failed to find Quiboloy and five other co-accused in the raid.