THE police “rescued” on Sunday, August 25, 2024, two individuals who were “held against their will” within the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound, Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office (PIO) chief Colonel Jean Fajardo said Monday, August 26, 2024.
In a press conference, Fajardo said the two individuals, a 20-year-old male and a 51-year old female, were turned over to their respective families.
“Kahapon ay nabigla nga tayo kahapon nung meron nakarating sa ating information, may dalawang pamilya na lumapit sa PNP para humingi ng tulong dahil accordingly, ‘yung kanilang mga mahal sa buhay hindi pinapayagang lumabas ng KOJC. So sa tulong ng kapulisan natin, kasama natin ‘yung DSWD ay may nirescue tayo,” she said.
(Yesterday, we were shocked when two families came to the PNP to ask for help because accordingly, their loved ones are not allowed to leave the KOJC. So with the help of our police, together with the DSWD, we rescued two people.)
“Sila mismo ay sinundo ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay at ihinarap sila, ‘yung mismong pamilya nila ang iniharap ni chief PNP kahapon,” she added.
(They themselves were picked up by their loved ones, and they were presented by the PNP chief yesterday.)
Fajardo said complaints are being prepared against those involved in the “detention” of the two rescued individuals.
The PNP urged other families with similar cases to come up to them for assistance.
Fajardo said that for now, the two rescued individuals asked for a “private time” with their respective families.
Over 2,000 heavily armed men led by Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) Director Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III trooped to the KOJC compound dawn of Saturday to arrest KOJC fugitive leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who has a standing arrest warrant for human trafficking and child and sexual abuse along with five KOJC officials.
Fajardo said the operation currently focuses on finding the “underground facility,” which according to their intelligence information houses Quiboloy.
“Without giving specifics, tama kayo nandoon ang concentration ng ating search dahil nadedetect nga nung ground penetrating radar natin na merong sign of life sa ilalim ng isang particular ground,” she said.
(Without giving specifics, you are right that the concentration of our search is there because our ground penetrating radar detected that there is a sign of life under a particular ground.)
“Patuloy nila tayong pinapaalis doon sa lugar na concentration natin ngayon at binabantayan natin yan at naniniwala tayo, kausap ko lang kanina si Gen. Torre at naniniwala tayo na malapit na natin matunton kung nasaan itong secret entrance at lagusan nitong particular place na ito,” she added.
(They keep sending us out of the area where we are concentrating now and we are watching that and we believe, I was just talking to Gen. Torre, that we will soon be able to track down the secret entrance and tunnel of this particular place.)
Torre earlier said they will not leave the area until they find Quiboloy. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)