The police and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) have maintained that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy had been hiding inside the compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) in Davao City before he decided to surrender.
DILG belied the earlier statement of the legal counsel of KOJC that Quiboloy went back to the compound for his surrender to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Galing outside, pumasok? Kwentong kutchero ‘yun. Alam niyo kung bakit? Eh, nasa labas kana, edi tumakas kana… nasa labas ka na, papasok ka pa ulit? Eh, di, doon ka na sumurender kung nasaan ka man,” DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. said.
Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-11) Director, Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, said Quiboloy was hiding in the Bible School inside the KOJC compound.
“Doon talaga sa Bible School. Ang formal name noon ay ACQ College of Ministry. At ‘yun ay aming na-surround na for the past how many days… alam na naming nadyan siya, eh. Alam na rin niya na nandyan kami,” Torre said.
Quiboloy reportedly sent surrender feelers when KOJC saw the number of police officers at the College of Ministry inside the compound who would take part in the final assault the PNP was supposed to launch. This was reportedly put on hold several times until Quiboloy surfaced.
“Nahuli siya doon mismo sa loob… pinasok siya doon at nung palabas sila, pinatabi nalang namin ang mga pulis so that they could get out,” Abalos said.
“’Yung pagsuko, formality nalang ‘yun, kasi at the end of the day, whether he likes it or not, the end result will ultimately be the same. So, maybe he chooses the path na feeling niya ay mas magaan para sa kanya,” Torre added.
NOT IN THE COMPOUND
But KOJC legal counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon, said the pastor was never in the compound during the police operation that lasted 16 days.
Torreon said Quiboloy went back to the compound to meet with KOJC leaders and, eventually, surrender.
He said Quiboloy made a sacrifice by turning himself in to authorities because ‘he does not want lawless violence to continue to happen in the compound and he could not bear to witness a second longer the sufferings that his flock was experiencing for many days.’
He added that police officers have gone inside all the buildings in the compound every day, contrary to what the police claimed that there is a building that they were supposed to enter on Sunday because it has not been penetrated yet.
Torreon said he was told that Quiboloy was hiding in the mountain in Davao City.
“He told me na sa bundok ng Davao City. I was not able to verify from him. Masyadong mabilis ang mga pangyayari,” Torreon said.
DILG said those who have knowledge about where Quiboloy was hiding will face charges for obstruction of justice.
Quiboloy and his four co-accused are now under police custody.