BAGUIO CITY -- The Philippine Army said Thursday it deployed reinforcements to police forces trying to serve arrest warrants against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and four associates in Davao City even as it raised red alert status in Eastern Mindanao.

Police have been trying to serve the arrest warrants since August 24 but Quiboloy and four others could not be located in the 30-hectare facility.

Maj. Salvacion Evangelista, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson, said at least two companies of soldiers or around 291 troops were sent to reinforce the Philippine National Police pursuing Quiboloy at the KOJC Compound in Davao City.

"As to the search (for Quiboloy), the Philippine Army is just (assigned in) crowd control. We are just giving crowd control assistance to the PNP... Not inside the compound. Again we are just in support of this. We are at the outer layer," she said in a phone patch interview on Thursday.

"Around 1 kilometer (from KOJC Compound) we are in the outer zone," she added.

Evangelista said the red alert was raised after the tension broke out in the city last Sunday.

"If you happen to hear that there was a commotion that night last Sunday. Of course, those are human disasters or disasters caused naturally," she said.

"We have enough troops if needed by the PNP. We are just on alert, but basically right now your AFP is on red alert. We have enough troops to support them," she added.

Evangelista added that military K9 units are also on standby for deployment if requested by the PNP. Robina Asido/DMS