DAGUPAN CITY – A political analyst has dismissed Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s surrender conditions as a mere delaying tactic.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo Dagupan, Atty. Michael Henry Yusingco likened Quiboloy’s situation to that of former third district representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., who managed to evade arrest and flee to a country with which the Philippines has an extradition treaty.
Regarding the KOJC compound’s invocation of their constitutional rights, Yusingco explained that this can still be subject to the balancing of interests approach, which weighs constitutional rights against the state’s interests.
This means that while the police have the right to search the KOJC compound under a court-issued warrant of arrest, the KOJC members also have the right to use the compound.
Ultimately, if the accused is not found within the compound, the police will be required to explain why they were unable to apprehend him in the specified location.
It can be recalled that one of Quiboloy’s conditions for surrender was a guarantee from Malacañang that he would not be extradited to the United States, where he faces similar criminal charges involving conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, as well as sex trafficking of children.
