Apollo Quiboloy, head of "the Kingdom of Jesus Christ," a non-Catholic religious group and spiritual adviser of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, speaks during a press conference in Davao City in southern island of Mindanao on May 23, 2016. Manman Dejeto, AFP/File 

The Davao police said it was ready to face a Senate inquiry in Davao City on Friday which would investigate the attempts to capture fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound.

The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights will conduct an ocular inspection at the 30-hectare compound and a public hearing after KOJC members claimed that the police operations affected their academic rights and religious freedom.

Tensyon muling sumiklab sa pagitan ng mga pulis, Quiboloy supporters

Some KoJC members and police authorities were injured during the operations that is approaching its second week.

The chief legal counsel of the KoJC, Atty. Israelito Torreon, said that he personally requested for the Senate's intervention on the matter.

"I had to be transparent because of the numerous happenings, violations of the rights to lives, liberties, and properties of my client," he said.

"I had to call Senator Dela Rosa about it because I felt that if the Senate would conduct an investigation, we would be able to have access to the ongoing tunneling activities that is being done," he added.

Davao Region police chief BGen. Nicolas Torre III said they welcome the investigation. Police are willing to share the discoveries and the information they got during the operations, he said.

Torre said he believed that their operations would continue after the Senate hearing.

"Hindi titigil yan. I am very confident na after the Senate hearing baka lalo pang tumagal at lalo pa kaming bigyan ng imprimatur dahil magkakaalaman. We will show the things that we are seeing and we will show it to the public," Torre said.

He said police had not yet searched the entire 30-hectare compound due to various challenges, such as police officers being allegedly restricted in many areas.

However, the KoJC earlier said that they were the ones being prevented from going to some areas like their cathedral and basement, where an alleged excavation was ongoing.

"Makikita niyo ang challenge, makikita niyo sa SMNI live. Nagse-search ang mga pulis, ang gulo, ginugulo, nililigaw," Torre said.

"We are just putting up with them. Maximum tolerance. We are just tolerating them just for the sake of peace in both sides. Kung titingnan mo talaga, obstruction of justice talaga ang ginagawa nila," he added.

POLICE EXCAVATION?

The KoJC shared videos of the alleged digging conducted by police officers in the basement of one of the buildings in the compound.

Torreon said the police trespassed into KoJC properties and that the arrest warrant implementation excluded destruction inside the compound.

The lawyer said he was dismayed that they still lacked access to the basement where the alleged excavation was taking place.

"Actually I had before at least three who were giving me information. They were inside. But one source, hindi na daw pinabalik kaya di na siya makapagbigay ng pictures," Torreon said.

“Gusto nyo kami ihamon na i-prove namin yun aming sinasabi pero hindi ninyo kami pinapayagang makapasok doon,” Torreon said.

KOJC said the excavation could affect the structural integrity of the building.

“Hindi pwedeng ma-justify yan kasi ang arrest warrant is as the word itself, the term itself implies, it is designed to authorize a police officer to arrest a person, it is not a document [that] authorizes the police to search,” Torreon said.

Torreon said the alleged excavation was one of the concerns they wanted to raise before the Senate, as well as the "sequestration" of the cathedral.

The PNP Davao did not confirm nor deny the digging activities, but Torre said they would reveal all their activities in the Senate hearing on Friday. 

DECREASING POLICE PRESENCE?

The KOJC said it observed a signification reduction of police personnel inside their compound after the announcement that a Senate inquiry would take place in Davao on Friday.

The Davao police said it deployed around 2,000 officers due to the size of the compound and the number of the members of the church.

"We have witnessed a significant reduction of the number of the police today. I dont know why, maybe because of the report that there is going to be a Senate investigation," Torreon said.

"If you would make an intelligent guess, maybe because there is already an order to conduct a Senate investigation and they would like to have a good PR. 'O, maliit nga lang ang number ng pulis dito'," he added.

But Torre said that they were just managing their manpower given that the operation is ongoing for almost two weeks now.

"Pag marami ang pulis, galit siya. Ngayong kumonti ang pulis, galit uli siya. We are managing our people to respond to the evolving situation," the Davao police chief said.

TORRE: THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO FIND QUIBOLOY

Torre said that they would justify their police operations in the Senate hearing by pointing out that Quiboloy would not be found and arrested without thorough search.

"Ang bottomline lang dito, kung hindi natin mahuli si Quiboloy sa ganitong paraan pa, ang ending ay hindi pa rin natin nahuli. Ano pa ang pwede nating gawin para gawin para mahuli siya? Sundin ang presidente ang demand niya na pumirma ang deklarasyon na siya ay ganito-ganito?," Torre said.

Torre believes Quiboloy is still in the compound as the search for him entered the 13th day.

Quiboloy left KOJC compound in March: lawyer

"We are looking at other areas to explore dahil habang dumadaan ang mga araw, dumadami ang mga information na naibibigay sa atin," he said.

Meanwhile, the KOJC has been documenting all the equipment and other things that the police are bringing in the compound.

Aside from equipment to detect life and motion and other gadgets, the KoJC also saw sacks of cement and sand allegedly taken inside its compound.

The PNP has explained the need for the said construction materials.

But Torre justified the presence of the Scene of the Crime Operation personnel who arrived at the compound on Wednesday.

"Pinapatingnan natin ang samples kasi i-sweep na lang talaga, like a SOCO sweep. Tingnan natin, buhok and everything... May mga ano kasi ang SOCO na pwedeng makita ang mga bagay na hindi natin nakita before," he said.

"Kung gaano katagal na gusto ni Quiboloy na maghanapan kami diyan, hahanapin namin siya. Until I am ordered by my superiors to stop, or until the court tells us to stop. Pero habang andyan talaga ang reasonable belief, andiyan talaga," Torre said.

DAVAO CITY GOV'T REACTS ON PNP'S PARTIAL ROAD CLOSURE

The city government of Davao issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that it did not issue any permit for the partial closure of the Carlos P. Garcia Highway in front of the KOJC compound.

"We urge the Philippine National Police to refrain from illegally closing portions of the CP Garcia Highway and to immediately remove all forms of barricade to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and allow motorists and the public to safely traverse the area," the city government of Davao said in a statement.

Torre said the LGU's statement was a unsettling, given that police were conducting a legitimate operation.

He questioned the LGU for allegedly not reacting to KOJC members who closed the national highway on August 25 and 26. The church members conducted a rally against the PNP's actions, but were dispersed by the police the next day.

"They want fair? Question? This is a police operation, are they impeding the police operation? And why did they not make that statement when the time the KoJC was there? Diba? It shows their colors. Pero fair is fair, and law enforcement is law enforcement. Wala itong pulitika. I do hope that they understand that," Torre said. -- With a report from Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News

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