THE Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) still feels the impact of surveillance on their religious compounds in Davao City.
They continue to see drones, possibly unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly around the KOJC Central Headquarters, which is adjacent to Davao International Airport.
They have also received reports that authorities will not cease their raids until Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy is apprehended.
This was a central topic during the KOJC press conference on Sunday.
“Of course, anything is possible after what happened to the Kingdom and to the religious compounds of the Kingdom – four religious compounds in Davao City,” statement of Atty. Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, Legal Counsel, KOJC.
Atty. Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, KOJC’s legal counsel, personally witnessed the allegedly surveillance activities around the KOJC religious compounds.
“We saw a drone that looked like a bird. I personally saw it. In fact, it hovered over me while I was on my way here to the compound,” Atty. Tolentino added.
“If it’s true that there’s an unmanned aerial vehicle here in Davao City monitoring the compounds, this shows that there is indeed surveillance going on,” Tolentino added.
Regarding the legality of these actions, KOJC’s lawyer said:
“We have to question whether this surveillance is legal. Under the Constitution, we are supposed to be secure. This should not be done to us because it’s illegal unless they have a court order. That we do not know yet,” she stressed.
Drones over KOJC religious compounds prompt complaints; Government takes no action
Atty. Tolentino also pointed out that drones should not be flying over KOJC’s religious compound, especially since it’s near the airport where a permit from the government is required.
“There are rules for flying drones. You cannot just fly a drone without a permit. You have to get a permit from CAAP to fly a drone,” Atty. Tolentino added.
Despite KOJC’s complaints to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), no action has been taken.
“We already contacted CAAP. They told us, ‘You have to file a complaint with the police and then the police will come and check.’ However, by the time the police arrive, the drones are gone. And yet, this happens nightly,” Atty. Tolentino stated.
Atty. Tolentino questioned why the government quickly reprimands KOJC when they try to fly a drone.
“The puzzling thing is when the Kingdom attempts to fly a drone, CAAP immediately calls them. This is what I learned. So, the question is, why are drones allowed to fly unhindered over the Kingdom when it is very near the airport and within the no-fly zone?” she said.
Despite arrest warrant, use of excessive force against Pastor ACQ, KOJC violates Constitution
During the press conference, the large police force deployed to raid Kingdom of Jesus Christ religious compounds and the fear that the military might also be involved were discussed.
According to Atty. Adam Jambangan, in the case of Pastor Apollo, a religious leader, such a large force is considered unlawful.
“Is there a reasonable justification for the state to use such a large force to arrest Pastor and the five accused? These are not terrorists. Pastor is a religious leader, and these are not armed people. Why must we use unjustifiable force?” statement of Atty. Adam Jambangan, Legal Counsel, KOJC.
Atty. Jambangan also stated that authorities have no right to be violent when serving an arrest warrant.
“Article 3, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall be inviolable. This is a constitutional right for Pastor and the accused,” Atty. Jambangan stated.
He highlighted Rule 113, Section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which states:
“It says here, ‘No violence or unnecessary force shall be used in making an arrest.’ In this case, I don’t think there is a necessity for the AFP to intervene,” Atty. Jambangan added.
Currently, KOJC is considering multiple legal actions against the authorities for violating the law and desecrating KOJC’s religious compounds.
