It was no presentation

The motion picture industry made a tremendous jump in viewership when it improved from black and white to color films. I read somewhere that it was George Eastman, of the Kodak company who pioneered in the production of color movies. With Eastman Color, films approximated living colors in fine details such that, for example, red was red and not just haze anymore.

Few days ago, there was a supposed national drama in full Eastman Color. The Filipino nation was waiting for that event to happen. I too, was expecting to see the face of the self-anointed son of God after almost two weeks of relentless police effort to find him in the so-called kingdom of Jesus Christ to arrest him! Apollo Quiboloy, a suspected criminal, was to be presented to the public on national television in brilliant living colors. I really wanted to know for sure if the news was true that the police succeeded to put him in cuffs.

When warrants for the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy were issued and the police tried, for the first time, to implement the court order by marching hundreds of uniformed men to the lair of Quiboloy, I wrote in this column a well-grounded fear that the tragedy in Waco, Texas, was about to be repeated. The initial stand-off between the FBI and the Davidians in the US several years ago, was also a forming in Davao City. Both the Branch Davidians and Quiboloy's flock were reputedly religious groupings. To recall, the American scene escalated from a mere barricading by civilians (even if they were believed to be cultists) to armed assault. I feared that the simple resistance of Quiboloy's folk would end in bloodshed.

The initial sight of the breach of the KOJC perimeter was unsettling, to say the least. Really, in the annals of enforcing judicial writs, the move to arrest a religious personality and a handful of his disciples with so huge a force, was unprecedented. There was the early perception that it was an "overkill," (a hyperbole expressed by a former high government official) to employ more than two thousand policemen to arrest few people. Indeed, public opinion saw an apparent mismatch between numerous policemen unleashed against few souls as many thought that the pastor would yield peacefully. But when Quiboloy continued to evade arrest, the early police bashers began to change views. They became so agitated by Quiboloy's seeming challenge as they realized that legal orders need be followed. The previous police critics, eventually turned police allies, no thanks to the recalcitrance of Quiboloy.

Apollo Quiboloy was finally arrested at 6 o’clock in the evening of Sunday, September 8, 2024, according to a Facebook post of Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" C. Abalos, Jr., of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The following day a press conference was held for the purpose of presenting the disgraced church leader to the shocked nation. During the press con, few persons were ushered into the venue. I recall someone saying "let them in." All of "them" were hooded, their faces fully covered, with eyes blocked by extremely dark glasses. They were wearing jackets that wrapped their arms. No part of their skin was ever exposed. It was presumed though that they were Quiboloy and company. But, i did not see Quiboloy in living Eastman Color. Seen on national television that day were hooded figures who appeared like the actors in black and white movies. In sum, the reported presentation of the arrested Quiboloy, shorn of the self-acclaimed dignity of being the owner of the world, was, to me, no presentation at all.