nice88 Abalos files counter-affidavit, calls Duterte's raps over KOJC raid 'baseless'
Updated:2024-12-03 02:50 Views:181MANILAnice88, Philippines — Former Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. filed a counter-affidavit on Friday, November 22, in response to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s complaints regarding his handling of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) raid.
Prior to filing his resignation as the chief of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to run for senator in 2025, Abalos’ police force raided the KOJC to serve an arrest warrant to doomsday preacher and alleged sexual abuser Apollo Quiboloy last August.
Thousands of police were deployed in the compound, making the ensuing manhunt tense, with police forces surrounding the compound in Davao City.
The KOJC claimed the raid was mishandled. Duterte, who is named as the KOJC’s property administrator, filed charges against Abalos.
“The charges are baseless. The filing of the Complaint-Affidavit is clearly politically motivated and brought in bad faith, intended to harass me and besmirch my good name and impugn my character,” Abalos said in the counter-affidavit.
Abalos’ counter-affidavit read that the charges filed against him were malicious mischief, violation of domicile, grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.
Abalos does not have a history of being a police officer.
“In this case, the only evidence presented by the complainant against me to justify his claim was the fact that I was the DILG Secretary during the time when the alleged injuries and violations occurred – nothing more. This falls short of the standard of proof required under the law,” Abalos’ affidavit read further.
He also explained that command responsibility does not apply in the situation, as he did not exercise command responsibility to those who served the warrants of arrest on the ground.
Despite facing a case from Duterte, Abalos said he still stood by the KOC raid, as it was a legitimate operation.
In an ambush interview at the Department of Justice, Abalos said that if the police did not do that, then Quiboloy would not have been arrested.
“I stand by it. The police did what was right,” Abalos said.
Abalos said the KOJC has a right to file chargesnice88, but said he knew that what he did was right.
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