Sedition raps filed vs. KOJC lawyers, execs

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Units from the Philippine National Police troop to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City on Monday (June 10, 2024), to serve an arrest warrant against its leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. (PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Thursday filed sedition and inciting to sedition charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 12 individuals in relation to the serving of arrest warrants against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City.

CIDG Director, Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, said named respondents in the sedition case were lawyers Israelito Torreon and Marie DInag Fuentes, as well as Lorraine Badoy-Partosa, Jeffrey Celis, Carlo Catiil, Eleanor Cardona, Kathleen Laurente, Trinidad Arafol, Lord Byron Cristobal, Joey Sun, Esteban C. Lava, and Jose Lim.

He said they would also include several John and Jane Does.

“That is aside from the other cases that we filed, like direct assault, physical injuries sa ating mga pulis (inflicted on our policemen), disobedience, and other crimes na inihain natin sa ibang mga korte sa Pilipinas (that we filed before other Philippine courts),” Torre said in an ambush interview.

He said they would leave it to prosecutors to weigh the charges.

“That will be threshed out na sa ating (in our) formal investigation. But initially, ang mga in-allege natin doon ang kanilang mga ginawa (what we alleged there is what they did), like calling on the people to rise against the government to prevent the police from serving the warrant of arrest, and many others,” Torre said when asked what those charges would cover.