MANILA, Philippines — Two individuals whom police describe as victims of human trafficking were rescued during a raid on the compound of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said at a press conference on Monday that a man and a woman were held against their will in the compound belonging to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church before being found by the police.
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“Yesterday, we were indeed surprised when we received information that two families approached the PNP seeking help because, according to them, their loved ones were not being allowed to leave the KOJC. With the assistance of our police and the DSWD, we were able to carry out a rescue,” she said in Filipino.
The rescued victims, a 20-year-old man from Samar and a 51-year-old woman from Midsayap, Cotabato, have been reunited with their families, Fajardo said.
They were rescued during the attempted execution of an arrest warrant against Quiboloy for charges of abuse and human trafficking inside his 30-hectare compound in Davao City.
The operation, which began last Saturday, involved 2,000 local police personnel from across the Davao Region.
Come forward, victims told
Following the rescue, the Department of Justice urged other victims of human trafficking within Quiboloy’s church to come forward for their “safety and protection.”
"I also call for stronger collaboration between and among the DOJ, through the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the PNP, and the DSWD to ensure airtight cases against the perpetrators, with the goal of delivering justice to the victims," Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a statement.
The anti-trafficking council also urged members of the KOJC to cooperate with the government in identifying other potential victims.
Monday marked the third day that Davao police have been deployed outside the KOJC compound to execute the arrest warrant for the fugitive doomsday preacher, who is believed to be hiding in an underground bunker within the premises.
Three protesters have already been apprehended for their aggression, which resulted in six police officers being injured.