DAVAO CITY: Amid the temporary restraining order issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 on Tuesday, a police official here said the law enforcement operation at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound is carried out legally.
Maj. Catherine Dela Rey, spokesperson of PRO-11, said the operation to find KOJC leader Apollo Quiboloy is backed by legal processes and does not involve unlawful means.
‘PRO-11 is continuously performing its law enforcement operations at KOJC, and we strictly abide by the proper protocols and standards for lawfully carrying out our mandates,’ Dela Rey said in a video message Wednesday.
A court order late Tuesday directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “cease and desist from any act or omission that threatens the life, liberty, or security of petitioners and their properties and remove all forms of barricades, barriers, and blockades that bar access to and from the subject compound and hinder petitioners’ rights.”
PRO-11 removed the barriers at the
main entrance of the KOJC compound after the Regional Trial Court Branch 15 issued the order.
Still, PRO-11 said it will continue the ongoing police operation to enforce the arrest warrant for Quiboloy, who is wanted for child abuse charges.
‘The PRO 11 is committed to respecting the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, and complying with the police operational procedures. In as much as there is no cease and desist order from the Amparo court, we will continue implementing the arrest warrant,’ Dela Rey said.
Atty. Israelito Torreon, the KOJC legal counsel, insisted that the court order effectively prohibited police presence in the compound as it “somehow threatens the life, liberty, or security as well as the properties” of KOJC members.
Source: Philippines News Agency
