Quiboloy rally leader gets jail term for blocking PNP manhunt
A Quezon City court has sentenced a member of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) to four months in jail for instigating the setup of a road blockade in Davao City in an attempt to stall the police manhunt for the sect’s leader Apollo Quiboloy in August 2024.
Judge Juvenal Bella of the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 39 found Eduardo Corda guilty of violating the Public Assembly Act of 1985 in connection with the protests staged by KOJC members to protect the controversial televangelist.
Not celebrating
A copy of the court decision issued on April 26 was shared on social media on Friday by former Philippine National Police chief and now Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Nicolas Torre, who was then the ground commander of the PNP operation to arrest Quiboloy.
In his post, Torre said he was sharing the news about the decision “not as a celebration (or for) revenge,” but as a reminder that “the law is the law.”
“There were people who chose to violate the law by barricading and blocking the road and used chaos as a weapon during the implementation of the arrest warrant against Quiboloy,” said Torre who was also the Davao regional police chief at the time.
“Now, the court has made its decision,” he said. “If ordinary citizens are required to obey the law, even more so for those in power.”
The case stemmed from the 16-day standoff at the KOJC compound that ended in Quiboloy’s arrest.
The Davao-based pastor, a staunch ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was facing charges in the Pasig and Quezon City courts for sexual abuse and the nonbailable offense of qualified human trafficking. He is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail.
‘Prayer rally’ permit
The court decision took note of how the KOJC members occupied portions of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway, jamming it with vehicles and heavy equipment, to keep the police out of the sect’s compound
While the group had secured a permit for a “prayer rally’’, the court said it covered activities only within the compound.
“By barricading a national thoroughfare with heavy equipment, the participants exceeded the spatial authority granted. In this regard, a permit is not a license to occupy any public space at will; it is limited by the conditions and locations specified therein,” it stated.
Five police officers served as complainants in the case, while Corda was the lone accused. He was identified as one of the protest leaders after being seen using a megaphone to stir up the crowd.
In his defense, Corda said he merely served a ministerial or peacekeeping role in the gathering and did not organize any unlawful activity.
Witnesses for the defense also maintained that the KOJC protest was peaceful.
Freedom not absolute
The court, however, gave weight to the account given by authorities who recalled how Corda, using his megaphone, coordinated the crowd’s movement during the standoff.
It stressed that freedom of assembly is not absolute and may be regulated in the interest of public order.
“When the exercise of free expression transcends the bounds of its legal authorization and encroaches upon the fundamental right of the public to safe and unobstructed passage, the law provides for a necessary reckoning,’’ it said.
“This case stands as a testament to that delicate balance between individual liberty and collective security,” the decision added.
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