PNP: Search for Quiboloy continues sans TRO from court

MANILA: The search for Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy will continue without a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop it, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday. 'Unless the courts issue a restraining order, it means we can implement the warrants of arrest because these have a lifetime effectivity. Not until these are served or quashed, we can implement these any time of the day," PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a phone interview. The KOJC filed a petition for writ of amparo and habeas data against Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and PNP officials, led by chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, before the Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 on July 5. The writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity. extralegal killings and enforced disap pearances or threats. The writ of habeas data is a constitutional right that provides citizens the right to access personal information collected by the government or a private entity and to challenge or correct the data. The police held simultaneous raids on five KOJC properties aimed at finding Quiboloy on June 10. 'That is their right to go to the proper venue and in fact, they even filed a case against the chief PNP and other senior officers before the Ombudsman. The PNP will answer this and we will let the court decide as to who is on the right side in implementing the warrant of arrest,' Fajardo said. Police Regional Office-Davao chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III previously said that based on their intelligence monitoring, Quiboloy is still inside the KOJC compound. Quiboloy is wanted for violations of the Anti-Trafficking in Person Act and Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. Abalos earlier said private citizens offered a PHP10 million bounty for any information that could lead to his arrest. The Court of Appeals has also issued a freeze order on known assets of Quiboloy -- 10 bank accounts, seven real properties, five motor vehicles and one aircraft. Source: Philippines News Agency