MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 39 found a leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) guilty for resisting authorities and was given four months in jail sentence.
In a seven-page decision dated April 23, 2026 but made public by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III on Friday on his Facebook page, the court, through presiding judge Juvenal Bella, found Eduardo Sapar Corda guilty of violating Section 13(a) of Batas Pambansa Bilang 880 or Public Assembly Act of 1985, which bans assemblies or rallies without a permit.
Corda was sentenced to four months in prison.
“Constitutional liberties do not exist in a vacuum. While the State protects the right to peaceful assembly as a cornerstone of democracy, it simultaneously holds the police power to regulate such activities to safeguard public safety and order,” the ruling read.
“When the exercise of free expression transcends the bounds of its legal authorization and encroaches upon the fundamental right of the public to safe and unobstructed passage, the law provides for a necessary reckoning. This case stands as a testament to that delicate balance between individual liberty and collective security,” it added.
The ruling read that Corda unlawfully commanded and held a public assembly and shouted in support of KOJC leader Apollo Quiboloy along the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway in Davao City on Aug. 26, 2024.