THE Treasure Hunters Association of the Philippines (Thapi) has criticized the equipment used by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in their search for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's "heartbeat."
Thapi suggested that a stethoscope would be more appropriate than a Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), typically used to survey underground utilities and metal properties.
In an interview with SMNI News Channel on August 27, Arnel Cruz, secretary general of Thapi, claimed that Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-Davao) director Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III is no longer actively searching for the fugitive religious leader.
“Hindi tao ang hinahanap ni Torre. Ang sabi niya, 'Hanggang merong heartbeat, kami ay hindi aalis'. Kung merong heartbeat, dapat stethoscope ang gagamitin mo kasi heartbeat eh, pero ang ginamit nila ay GPR-ground penetrating radar. Ito po ay tinutulak at nagre-register ng parabellum basta meron itong tinamaan na bakal o kuryente. Ito po siguro ang sinasabi ni Gen. Torre na heartbeat (Torre is not searching for people. He said, 'Until there is a heartbeat, we will not leave.' If there is a heartbeat, a stethoscope should be used, not GPR. GPR detects metal or electrical signals, which is probably what Gen. Torre was referring to as a 'heartbeat',” he stated.
Cruz also dismissed claims by Torre that there was a bunker inside the 30-hectare KOJC compound in Buhangin, particularly in the cathedral where KOJC members gather for worship.
“Now to us na treasure hunter, when you say `bunker', isa lang ang ibig sabihin niyan-depository. And nagulat ako bakit lumabas sa bibig ni Gen. Torre ang salitang 'bunker. Saan ito nanggaling (To us treasure hunters, 'bunker' means only one thing—a depository. I was surprised to hear Gen. Torre use the word 'bunker.' Where did that come from?)," Cruz questioned.
Since the KOJC compound standoff began on August 24, the PNP has deployed several high-tech devices to locate Quiboloy’s alleged underground bunker. This includes a life detector device that uses radar pulses to create subsurface images and detect heartbeats, movement, and heat signatures.
However, the PNP has denied KOJC's claims that their operation was aimed at finding gold on the property.
“Wala pong basehan yun (There is no basis for that). We are there just to implement a warrant of arrest against Pastor Quiboloy,” the PNP stated in a press conference on August 29. “Those are just [tools] technically to help us locate Quiboloy.” DEF