AFP deploys troops to assist PRO-11 in KOJC op

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 28, 2024): AFP deploys troops to assist PRO-11 in KOJC op (By Che Palicte)

AUGMENTATION. Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. says in Davao City on Wednesday (Aug. 28, 2024) that Armed Forces of the Philippines units serving as augmentation force have been deployed as the Police Regional Office-Davao Region continues to search for fugitive Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy to serve an arrest warrant. As a deputized agency of the Philippine National Police, Teodoro said, the military will cooperate with all government agencies in serving processes of the law. (PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.)

DAVAO CITY – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Wednesday that Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units have been deployed here as the Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-11) continues its search for fugitive Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy.

However, Teodoro clarified that the deployment of AFP troops as an augmentation force has nothing to do with serving a warrant of arrest on Quiboloy, as it is a police matter.

Government troops, he said, only act as deputized personnel to aid the PNP in maintaining peace and order.

“There are protocols the police and AFP follow and there have been augmentations already to PRO-11,” he said in an interview during the 18th founding anniversary of the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) in Panacan district.

As a deputized agency of the Philippine National Police, Teodoro said, the military aids in serving "processes of the law. Arresting Quiboloy is purely a law enforcement matter."

Quiboloy and five other KOJC members are facing charges of child abuse and human trafficking.

Courts in Davao City and Pasig City have ordered their arrest.

Meanwhile, Teodoro commended Eastmincom for its effective internal security operations and praised the command's role in fostering safer communities over the past year.

"First of all, I congratulate you on your relentless internal security operations, which have been met with great success, sustained by continuity," he said.

Also at the event, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. cited the administration’s commitment to "fostering lasting peace and security in Eastern Mindanao."

"The President is proud of the achievements of the Filipino soldiers and extends his congratulations to Eastmincom for their achievements,” Lagdameo told the EastMinCom servicemen.

On the other hand, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, who is also the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) in Southern Mindanao, congratulated Eastmincom on its accomplishments.

Magno, who heads the Joint Regional Task Force to End Local Communists and Armed Conflicts (JRTF-ELCAC), said Eastmincom's commitment to creating a more peaceful Mindanao is now slowly paying off, as seen by its recent achievements.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1232120