Police secure Kingdom of Jesus Christ Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his co-accused as they leave the Pasig City Regional Trial Court on September 12, 2024, after pleading not guilty to charges of qualified human trafficking. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy, who is facing qualified human trafficking charges among others, will remain at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center at Camp Crame, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said Friday.

• Quiboloy, mga kapwa akusado mananatili sa PNP Custodial Center

This was according to a commitment order issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court branch 159 handling the trafficking case against Quiboloy and 4 others. The 5 pleaded not guilty to the charge. 

• Quiboloy pleads not guilty to qualified human trafficking raps 

The court cited Quiboloy as a security risk in allowing him to stay in the PNP Custodial Center instead of a regular jail.

• No VIP treatment for Quiboloy, co-accused: BJMP

Meanwhile, his four co-accused will be transferred to Pasig City Jail, BJMP spokesperson Jayrex Bustinera said. 

• KOJC seeks to transfer Quiboloy to military custody

“Bago pa man ito (commitment order) ma-receive…nagpadala na rin po ng karagdagang security para sa preparation natin,” BJMP Spokesperson JSupt. Jayrex Bustinera said. 

“Nag-check na tayo ng facilities kanina at chineck natin kung may paglalagyan pa, saan ilalagay, at sinisigurado po kasi natin na walang special treatment dito,” he added. 

Quiboloy’s co-accused will be placed with other detainees already held there.

There are 1,500 inmates at the male dormitory and 138 in the female dormitory. 

“Nasa 500 percent ang congestion rate ng male dorm and nasa 238 percent ang female dorm. So makikita po natin dito na ang paglalagyan nila ay may mga laman na,” Bustinera noted.

Quiboloy earlier requested to be under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which the defense department rejected. 

The Department of National Defense (DND) filed a new motion in court on Friday to oppose the request for Quiboloy’s transfer to a military detention facility.

In a comment and opposition submitted to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 106, DND Assistant Secretary and Chief of Legal and Legislative Affairs Atty. Erik Lawrence Dy argued that Quiboloy is not suitable for detention in a military facility because the cases against him involved heinous crimes that fall solely under the jurisdiction of civilian courts.

Dy further asserted that the AFP’s mandate excluded the detention of suspects facing criminal charges. 

He added that Quiboloy is not a member of the AFP.

"Bagamat mayroon po tayo na mga AFP detention facilities within military camps, ito po ay subject to very stringent security and operational protocols at nakalaan po ito sa mga kawani ng AFP na charged or convicted with service related offenses under the jurisdiction of general court martial,” Dy said.

“Sa kasong ito ang mga akusado ay hindi po miyembro ng Armed Forces of the Philippines at ang mga alegasyon po laban sa kanila ay nasasaklaw na po ng ating mga civil courts so nararapat lamang po na manatili ang kustodiya nila sa ating mga law enforcement authorities at hindi po sa kasundaluhan,” he added. 

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