Nearly 20 followers of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) were injured and hospitalized following an alleged tear gas attack by the Philippine National Police (PNP) during an operation to serve an arrest warrant for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
The incident occurred as part of an ongoing investigation into Quiboloy and four others on charges of rape, child abuse, and human trafficking.
The KOJC members were admitted to the hospital at around 1 a.m. on August 24, suffering from dizziness and eye irritation they attributed to tear gas.
However, PNP PRO-11 Chief Director Nicolas Torre III has firmly denied the allegations.
Torre stated that his officers did not deploy tear gas during the operation.
He explained that a fire extinguisher, not tear gas, was used by one of the KOJC members in an attempt to repel the police from the compound.
Torre further clarified that his team did not carry gas masks, which would have been necessary if tear gas had been used, reinforcing his denial of the allegations.
