(UPDATES) A QUEZON City trial court judge has ordered the transfer of evangelist Apollo Quiboloy and other co-respondents from the custodial center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the Quezon City jail.
Dated Sept. 9, 2024, the order was signed by Judge Noel Parel of QC-Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 106.
Quiboloy’s co-respondents were Cresente Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Sylvia Cemanes and Ingrid Canada, according to the one-page order.
The judge directed the chief of the Headquarters Support Service of the PNP to transfer and commit Quiboloy and Cresente Canada to the new QC jail in Barangay Payatas.
His three female co-respondents — Ingrid Canada, Roy and Cemanes — were ordered transferred to the QC Jail-Female Dormitory in Camp Karingal.
Facing criminal cases including child abuse and human trafficking, Quiboloy and his four co-accused were expected to appear before Parel’s sala on Sept. 13, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. for arraignment and a pre-trial via videoconference hearing.
The PNP, meanwhile, said a Pasig court had also ordered that Quiboloy and the others remain at the PNP Custodial Center.
“So, we don’t want to run the risk of moving him to Quezon City. We have no control there. We just have to really harmonize these court orders,” said Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Col. Jean Fajardo.
Quiboloy and his four co-accused are facing qualified human trafficking charges before the Pasig RTC Branch 159.
Offenses under Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act of 2003 are non-bailable.
Quiboloy and his co-accused were presented to the media on Monday, but their faces were covered, and the pastor wore shades.
The PNP on Tuesday said Quiboloy was adjusting to his custodial facility inside Camp Crame.
Fajardo said that she visited Quiboloy inside his quarters.
“I personally spoke to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and asked him if he was able to rest, and according to him, he is adjusting. Of course, the environment is different, but he’s OK. He’s been able to eat, and the other detainees have been able to rest,” Fajardo said in Filipino.
She said that she also talked to a female member of the KOJC who was also arrested with Quiboloy on Sunday.
The arrest warrants were turned over to the RTC in Quezon City and in Pasig City.
She said Quiboloy’s physical presence in Pasig RTC wasn’t required since one of his charges was non-bailable.
“This coming Friday, there’s a scheduled arraignment, but that will be done through video conferencing,” she said. The problem was that the sessions at the two courts were scheduled at the same time, she added.
Fajardo also explained why the mugshots and videos of Quiboloy were pixelated or blurred.
“This is not the first time that the PNP has released mugshots, and we hid the face,” Fajardo said.
“Even the names have been removed because of a request from the Commission on Human Rights,” she added.
Asked if the public would be able to see Quiboloy without any mask or covering, she said this could be possible if the court required it.
Quiboloy was arrested on Sept. 8, 2024, when the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines issued an ultimatum for him to surrender within 24 hours.
Also on Tuesday, a military official said the Armed Forces of the Philippines could take custody of Quiboloy if the court orders it.
On Monday, the Department of National Defense said it would oppose having the evangelist transferred to AFP Custody” because it is not the proper agency to have custody of suspects in criminal cases.”
