The 20th Davao City Council approved a resolution upholding the “rule of law” in its operations at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound.
Councilor Luna Acosta, in a privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, said that while she respects the PNP in serving the warrant of arrest against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, constitutional rights must not be overlooked.
“I respect and acknowledge the power of the court to issue warrant of arrest and the authority of police to enforce the same. However, when the enforcement of the warrant is accompanied with the use of the excessive force, the seizure of private property, and the disregard for the rights of others, we must ask ourselves if this is still what the law provides,” Acosta said.
According to Acosta, serving the arrest warrant has caused inconvenience to the Dabawenyos, especially those who have flights, work, and classes. She said the police should consider how these actions would impact on the rule of law and constitutional rights, noting that there is a school inside the KOJC compound.
“The service of the warrant of arrest affects not only the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. For the first three days of the siege, great inconvenience was experienced by many Dabawenyos who were late for their flights due to the traffic conditions near the airport,” she said.
“Many of those coming to and from their homes to school or work were also affected by the road closure. However, more than these inconveniences, what we all should look into is the effect that these actions have on the rule of law and our rights under the constitution. Many forget that in the KOJC compound is a school that caters students from preschool to law school,” she added.
Acosta said schools should remain as zones of peace and that police personnel should not stay within school premises.
The Jose Maria College has ordered a suspension of classes starting August 24.
“Since the operations began until this day, Jose Maria College has not been able to open its doors to its students due to the continued police presence in the buildings themselves,” Acosta said.
She said KOJC members even celebrated their 39th anniversary in the open grounds due to the police operations. She said the PNP should at least respect the beliefs of the KOJC members and let them worship in their own way.
“Instead of worshipping in their cathedral, their most holy place, they were forced to conduct their anniversary celebration in the open grounds. Why is this so? Because their cathedral was used as a command post of the ongoing police operation,” she said.
“While the Philippine National Police may not necessarily believe in the teachings of Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the least that could be done is to respect their right to believe and worship in their own way,” she added.
She also said that the operation has affected the police personnel, most of whom are not from Davao Region.
“I feel for our police personnel who have been assigned to this operation, many of them have not eaten or sleep properly since this began. Most of them are not even from Davao Region, and have families worrying for their wellbeing,” she said.
The councilor also stressed that nobody is above the law.
“We must remind ourselves, no one is above the law. Not the police who enforce it, the lawyers who defend it, the lawmakers who craft it, not even the President who orders it. While the ongoing operations inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ are justified, as pursuant to the local order of the court to enforce a search warrant, other laws should not be disregarded,” she said.
“To our Philippine National Police, all the officers and personnel, what we ask is that you respect the rule of law and ensure that constitutional rights are not being overlooked in the service of warrant of arrest.” Acosta added.
Acosta called on the Dabawenyos to stand against the ongoing attacks against peace and public safety, urging them to not stay silent when rights are being trampled upon.
“This is not the time to be silent. This is the time to let our voices be heard that those in the seat of power will be able to hear us when we say, in the words of Mayor Sebastian Duterte, “bisa’g unsaon ninyo dili mi ninyo matandog. Kamo ang nabalaka, dili kami,” she said.
CIO
