Pasig court rejects ‘hospital arrest’ for Quiboloy

MANILA, Philippines —  A Pasig regional trial court has junked the petition to have Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy placed under “hospital arrest” at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Davao City.

Israelito Torreon, Quiboloy’s lead counsel, said yesterday that the court’s Branch 159 denied the motion for hospital arrest they filed in September due to the KOJC leader’s existing medical condition.

“We received this morning an order denying it,” Torreon told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of a pre-trial conference at the Pasig court.

“Yes the judge denied our motion, though the judge clarified during our hearing this afternoon that we can coordinate with the warden of Camp Crame Custodial Center if there is an urgent need for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to be brought to the hospital. But only that it should be with the PNP General Hospital within Camp Crame,” he added in a message to The STAR.

Torreon said they intend to ask the court to reconsider its decision.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, Philippine National Police (PNP) public information officer, said they have yet to receive an update about the court proceedings.

She declined to reveal the results of the medical examination conducted by the PNP Health Service on Quiboloy who is accused of qualified human trafficking at the Pasig court and child and sex abuse cases at a Quezon City court.

“I don’t have personal confirmation with respect to the court ruling on the medical findings submitted by the PNP,” Fajardo said in a news briefing at Camp Crame.

Quiboloy remains detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame over a month after he was arrested on Sept. 8 at the KOJC compound in Davao City.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said Quiboloy might still run as independent candidate for senator after the Workers and Peasants Party (WPP), which supposedly nominated his senatorial bid, disowned the KOJC leader.

Garcia said Quiboloy cannot be declared a “nuisance candidate” even if the WPP denied him party membership.

Quiboloy is still included in the partial official list of aspirants qualified to run in the Senate race, he added.

“If the person’s candidacy is