IN a press conference, Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 Director Brigadier General Nicolas Torre insisted that he did not receive any calls or texts from the legal counsel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), Atty. Israelito Torreon.
This statement followed the police’s arrest of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy’s co-accused, Paulene Canada, in a subdivision in Davao City on July 11.
Torreon stressed that Torre was lying, asserting that, as Paulene Canada’s lawyer, he immediately contacted the official upon learning of her arrest.
“That is a lie. That is a lie because here are the text messages. He can’t deny it. He probably used this technique to question Ms. Paulene without a lawyer present, but he knows, being a general, that it’s prohibited. Republic Act 7438 in relation to section 4 mandates that persons arrested or detained must always be assisted by counsel. At all times,” stressed Atty. Israelito Torreon, KOJC Legal Counsel.
To recall, Torre’s personnel initially denied that Canada was arrested and was taken to Camp Catitipan.
However, the PNP retracted this statement after a video surfaced showing Canada’s arrest.
Around 11 PM, other media outlets reported that Canada was detained at Buhangin Police Station.
But when the KOJC legal counsel arrived, they found out that Canada was never detained there.
Torreon later received information that Canada had been transferred to Camp Crame in Quezon City.
PRO 11 violates Miranda Rights of Pastor ACQ’s co-accused Paulene Canada
Torreon emphasized that the PNP violated Miranda Rights when they arrested Canada and transported her to Camp Crame without giving her a chance to speak with her lawyer.
“Actually, that is a violation because she should have been assisted by counsel at all times. I should have been there. What happened was they subjected my client to an investigation without counsel? That’s prohibited according to the law. It’s punishable by 8 years imprisonment and another violation that can result in 4 to 6 years of imprisonment. There are also administrative liabilities, including perpetual disqualification from holding public office,” said Torreon. There are also administrative liabilities, including perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
The following day, Torreon traveled to Camp Crame and spoke with Canada personally.
He revealed that no one wanted to accept the accused into custody because authorities admitted there were irregularities in her arrest.
“When Ms. Paulene arrived there, no one would accept her. No one would accept her because, on her first night, General Torre had her stay at a hotel. They admitted there were irregularities in her arrest and in ignoring my calls and text messages,” stated Torreon.
According to Atty. Torreon, it is up to Canada whether she will file charges against the authorities who arrested her.
