Manila, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Philippines said this week that no crime was committed during the police raid at the big church compound in Davao City owned by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. Because of this, the complaints made by former President Rodrigo Duterte were dismissed.
What Happened?
Back in June 2024, about 400 armed police officers went into a place called Glory Mountain Compound in Davao City. This is where Quiboloy’s group, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), was having a prayer meeting.
The police were there to arrest Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. He is the leader of KOJC and calls himself the “Appointed Son of God.”
The police had an arrest warrant, which is an official paper from the court saying they can arrest someone. But they did not have a search warrant, which would have allowed them to search the area.
Duterte’s Complaint
Former President Duterte, who is now working as a church administrator for KOJC, didn’t agree with how the police handled the raid. He said:
-
The police broke into the compound forcefully.
-
They hurt some people inside.
-
They caused lots of damage to the property.
-
They didn’t follow the law because they didn’t have the right papers to enter.
He filed a criminal complaint against several high-ranking police and government officials. These included:
-
Former PNP Chief Brig. Gen. Rommel Francisco D. Marbil
-
Former Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
-
PNP Region XI Director Brig. Gen. Aligre Martinez
-
PNP Director for Operations Maj. Gen. Ronald Oliver Lee
What the DOJ Said
After looking into the case, the DOJ said there was not enough evidence to prove that the police did something illegal. The prosecutors explained:
-
The police had a valid reason to be there: to arrest Quiboloy.
-
Even if they caused some damage, it was not done with bad intentions.
-
The police were just doing their job, and there is a rule called “presumption of regularity” which means we believe public officials are doing the right thing unless we have strong proof otherwise.
-
They also said that the big bosses (like the generals named in the complaint) could not be blamed just because they were in charge, especially if they didn’t directly break any laws.
Why the Police Raided the Compound
The raid happened because Pastor Quiboloy is facing many serious cases in court, including:
-
Human Trafficking – He is accused of forcing church members to ask people for donations using lies from 2014 to 2019. This case could lead to life in prison if he’s found guilty.
-
Sexual Abuse – Some former followers said Quiboloy raped and abused them many years ago. These complaints came up during Senate hearings in 2022.
-
Child Abuse – Another case was filed involving underage victims.
Because of all these complaints, three courts gave arrest orders against Quiboloy in early 2024. But he didn’t go to court when he was supposed to. So, the police had to go to his compound to find and arrest him.
After the warrants were issued, Quiboloy went into hiding, which led to the big police raid in June.
Quiboloy Says It’s All Political
Pastor Quiboloy says that all these cases are not true. He believes he’s being targeted for political reasons. He has denied all the charges.
