Military custody of Quiboloy, 4 others opposed before local court

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) on Friday filed a motion before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court opposing the transfer of custody of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his co-accused to the military.

Interviewed after filing the motion for comment/opposition before RTC Branch 106 Judge Noel Parel, DND Legal and Legislative Affairs chief Assistant Secretary Erik Lawrence Dy said the detention facilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were not designed for the accused like Quiboloy since the cases filed against him and his co-respondents were heinous crimes that fall under civilian courts.

He said that the AFP detention facilities were for military officers and personnel charged or convicted of service-related offenses under the jurisdiction of the General Courts Martial.

«The accused here (in reference to Quiboloy and co-respondents) were not members of the AFP and the allegations against them do not fall under the General Courts Martial,» the DND official said.

Dy also confirmed that they also filed the same motion before a Pasig City court where the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) and other co-accused were facing separate criminal cases.

Meanwhile, Parel was expected to arraign Quiboloy and four co-respondents later in the day in connection with the child abuse case filed against them, which were said to be bailable unlike his cases filed before the Pasig RTC.

Quiboloy's co-respondents were Cresente Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Sylvia Cemanes and Ingrid Canada.