May the 1987 Constitution prevail, and finally end the long ordeal of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
This was the hope aired Friday by Sen. Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla, at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights on the KOJC situation at the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City.
“Sana, ang maging dulo nitong pagdinig na ito ay matapos ang kalbaryo ng KOJC… kawawa ang pulis doon tinatanong ko 24 hours palit-palit. Ngayon kung sa tingin nyo lahat na nakakatulong sa bayan ito e nasa inyo yan (I hope that this hearing will help end the ordeal of the KOJC. I sympathize with the police who are there 24 hours a day, in shifts),” said Padilla.
“Pero sa akin, ang pakiusap ko sa inyo malinaw ang Saligang Batas sa paghiwalay ng simbahan at estado. Sana doon tayong lahat magumpisa. Bago tayo ito palakihin, bago tayo magsisihan, ang KOJC, simbahan po ito (For me, my appeal is to heed the Constitution’s provision on the separation of Church and State. I hope we will start here. And before we start blaming each other, let’s remember the KOJC is a church),” he added.
Last June, Padilla filed a resolution seeking to look into the alleged abuses of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its operation on the KOJC, supposedly to serve an arrest warrant on KOJC founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
At Friday’s hearing, Padilla stressed the 1987 Constitution – the highest law of the land – must prevail, and all Filpinos including the PNP and public servants as well as KOJC members, must follow it.
He added that while those accused of violating the law must face the music, what is clear is that the innocent have rights, including that to the separation of Church and State under the Charter.
“Tayo po lahat ay Pilipino at tayo minsan ay nagkasama-sama dahil sa pagmamahal po natin sa bayan natin at tayo po ay sumusunod sa Constitution (All of us are Filipinos united by our love for country, and we must follow our Constitution),” he said.
