Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte (Left) and President Ferdinand Marcos (Right). PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

The rift between Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte grew bigger as the latter expressed her apologies and sought forgiveness from the members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) for convincing them to vote for the former in the 2022 Philippine Elections. This is amid tensions surrounding arrest attempts against the founder of KOJC, evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, who is currently facing charges of sexual abuse and human trafficking. Last Saturday, 2000 police officers raided the KOJC compound in Davao City in an attempt to serve a warrant of arrest for Quiboloy, an action which Duterte condemned and claimed to be a "gross abuse of power". “I vehemently condemn the gross abuse of police power in the takeover of the KOJC compound earlier today, which led to the harassment of religious worshipers, the abuse of minors, and the unnecessary loss of life,” Duterte said in her statement on Sunday. During the raid, 1 KOJC member manning a watchtower died of a heart attack, while 18 others said they were injured. Quiboloys' camp accused the police officers of misconduct in enforcing the arrest warrant and claimed that the police forced entry using tear gas canisters. However, the police defended their actions by stating that they had given a 30-minute warning to the people within the compound to open the gate for the operatives. Duterte also said she could not help but ask herself if the "use of extraordinary force" by the police was motivated by the fact that Quiboloy has close ties and is a supporter of the Dutertes. "That is why I also want to ask forgiveness from all the members, devotees, and people who make up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, for persuading and appealing to you to vote for Bongbong Marcos Jr. in 2022," she said. Duterte and Marcos are running mates during the 2022 Philippine elections. In response to Duterte's condemnation, House Assistant Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V said the situation was "not about who voted for whom in 2022" and defended PNP that they were "simply doing its job by enforcing a valid arrest warrant against Quiboloy and his cohorts, who are facing serious charges." "To call this an 'abuse of power' is a gross mischaracterization of the situation. The police were acting within the bounds of the law," he added. Quiboloy has not been arrested yet. "We just haven't been able to find him due to their well-planned movements within the compound," Regional Office 11 chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said on Sunday. "So, we are not leaving until we catch Quiboloy," Torre added. Apollo Quiboloy is also wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the USA for his "alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity. These donations were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders". FLE/Expat Media
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