DILG orders LGUs to stop giving permits to KAPA

Department of Interior and Local Government logo.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government Unit (DILG) has ordered all local government units (LGUs) to stop giving permits to the KAPA Community Ministry International Inc. and to revoke existing permits

In a memorandum released on June 13, the DILG said that with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoking the certificate of registration of KAPA, the religious organization was no longer legal and their activities in any of the localities were also deemed illegal.

The SEC has recently revoked KAPA’s certificate of registration for serious misinterpretation of its purpose to the “great prejudice of and or damage to the general public.”

The Court of Appeals also released a freeze order on KAPA’s bank accounts and other assets after finding of probable cause that it had been operating an investment scheme related to unlawful activities.

For this reason, the DILG ordered the LGUs to revoke all existing permits of KAPA and disallowed the LGUs to issue any other permits as well.

“The recent controversy involving KAPA Community Ministry International Inc. its allied subsidiaries and organizations, as being involved in illegal investment schemes done under cover of donation to entice public to donate when in truth and, in fact, they are investing has already generated complaints from public necessitating the exercise of the DILG’s power of oversight over the LGUs and their officials,” said the DILG memorandum.

Read more: Duterte wants Kapa, other investment scams probed, shut down

The DILG said that they were following the marching orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to the agencies, especially to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), in putting a stop to the KAPA operations.

Jovelyn Calvo, DILG Cebu City officer-in-charge, said that they had not received the memorandum yet and there were still no directives from the DILG Regional Office in Central Visayas (DILG-7).

She said the order from the national DILG might pertain to operational permits and business permits that cities and municipalities would give to establishments and businesses in the city.

This would also mean that any standing business permit or operational permits given by an LGU to KAPA must be revoked.

However, she could not state any penalty for the LGU, who would refuse to follow the DILG directives because they had not received copies of the memorandum yet.

Read more: Five men robbed, burned Kapa office in Compostela town

Recently, the town of Compostela closed down the office of KAPA which was also destroyed by a fire on June 8. The same office was raided by the NBI and police two days after.

Read more: NBI to assess seized papers at KAPA Compostela raid

The police are still looking for Christopher Abad,  KAPA office in Compostela branch manager, who has gone into hiding along with KAPA founder, Pastor Joel Apolinario. They went into hiding after the Regional Trial Court in Manila ordered a search in their Compostela office and the confiscation of ledgers, journals and other important documents. /dbs