The Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed to have evidence that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) members’ injuries were self-inflicted, and that this was done to frame the police of brutality.
PNP Spokesperson PCOL Jean Fajardo told press that the police have video proof showing fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s followers harming themselves, in a “desperate” attempt to prove that cops had crossed the line.
“We're just waiting na ma-authenticate po itong video na ito to show how desperate these people are para ipakita na umaabuso ang mga pulis natin, nananakit ang mga pulis natin,” Fajardo stated.
(We’re just waiting for this video to be authenticated, to show how desperate these people are to depict our police as abusive, that they hurt people.)
“But on the contrary, ‘yung mga pulis natin ang minumura, tinatadyakan, at sinasaktan, at lahat po ng klase ng pagmumura ay natanggap na po nung ating kapulisan,” she added.
(But on the contrary, it is our police who were being cursed at, kicked, and hurt, and our police were on the receiving end of all sorts of swearing.)
On August 24, 2,000 cops of the Police Regional Office 11 surrounded the KOJC compound in Davao City in search of Quiboloy, for whom an arrest warrant was to be served. On the evening of the following day, the church held a prayer rally.
In an ambush interview, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. denied that the operation had violated human rights as the police officers were not armed.
The Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 ordered the removal of the barriers by the compound on August 27.
