Kingdom of Jesus Christ Founder Apollo Quiboloy (INQUIRER file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines 鈥� Around 2,000 members of the Philippine National Police raided the compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) in Buhangin District, Davao City.
This operation is part of another attempt by the police to serve the arrest warrant against televangelist Apollo Quiboloy and other sect members.
The accused are facing charges of child abuse and human trafficking, among others.
鈥淓arly this morning, the police at Police Regional Office 11 implemented a warrant of arrest against Quiboloy,鈥� Major Catherine Dela Rey, chief of the Davao Police Regional Office 11 Public Information Office, told 黑料社 in Filipino over the phone.
Dela Rey said they received information indicating that Quiboloy was in the compound, prompting the search operation.
鈥淎s of now, our search of the entire compound is still ongoing because the area is extensive,鈥� she explained.
The search is still ongoing as of 11:30 a.m.
Police raiders first assembled outside the compound at 4 a.m.
They gave the compound administrators 30 minutes to open the gates so the law enforcers could enter.
The police warned that those persons obstructing the warrants鈥� service would be arrested.
鈥淚t did not take them 30 minutes to open the gates to the compound,鈥� Dela Rey told reporters.
The raid is based on an intelligence report on the location of Quiboloy, who admitted that he went into hiding last February.
Dela Rey also confirmed that a male KJC member died on Saturday morning as the raid was ongoing, but she brushed aside insinuations on social media it was because of the operation.
She said that the KJC member, who has yet to be identified, was pronounced dead past 6 a.m. at the Southern Philippines Medical Center.
She added that the man must have been physically exhausted from several days and nights of guarding one of the KJC Compound鈥檚 gates.
As of 9 a.m., Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Davao regional police director who was present at the raid, said they have not yet scoured through even half the compound.
READ: 鈥楽ampal sa kanila:鈥� Escudero hits PNP鈥檚 failure to arrest Quiboloy
On August 22, Senate President Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero slammed the PNP for its failure to arrest Quiboloy.
Quiboloy and five others were ordered arrested in April by two separate courts in Davao and Pasig for sexual abuse and qualified human trafficking cases.
It has also been five months since the Senate ordered in March the arrest of Quiboloy for his refusal to face the chamber鈥檚 committee on women鈥檚 probe into the same allegations and other human rights abuses leveled against him.