Monday, September 9, 2024 - The Philippines government has arrested a pastor wanted in the United States for child trafficking two weeks after a massive police manhunt was launched for the self-proclaimed "Appointed Son of God".
Apollo Quiboloy, who has close relations with former
president Rodrigo Duterte, is the founder of the Philippines-based Kingdom of
Jesus Christ (KOJC) church which claims millions of members.
He was charged by the US Justice Department with sex
trafficking of girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 to work as
personal assistants, or "pastorals", who were allegedly required to
have sex with him.
Quiboloy and four other sect members were taken into custody
at the church's compound in the southern city of Davao following negotiations
between his representatives and the police and military, Philippine police
spokeswoman Colonel Jean Fajardo told reporters.
"This afternoon they negotiated their peaceful
surrender after we gave them a 24-hour ultimatum," Fajardo said.
Four hours later Quiboloy and the four sect members were
flown by military aircraft to Manila, where they will be detained to stand
trial for "child abuse, sexual abuse and qualified (human)
trafficking", Fajardo added.
Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos earlier on Sunday
announced Quiboloy's arrest on his official Facebook page.
Quiboloy is also sought by US authorities for bulk cash
smuggling and a scheme that brought church members to the United States
using fraudulently obtained visas.
They were then forced to solicit donations for a bogus
charity, raising funds that were instead used to finance church
operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders, according to the US
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
It is not known if the United States has sought the
extradition of Quiboloy, aged at least 74, according to the FBI.
"This is a concerted effort of everyone involved,"
Brigadier-General Nicolas Torre, the regional police chief who led the manhunt,
told reporters at a news conference confirming the Quiboloy's arrest.
"Let's be proud. We did our job today."
Police have been attempting to arrest Apollo Quiboloy, who
claims to be the "Appointed Son of God", in a raid on his sprawling
church compound.
The Marcos administration deployed more than 2,000 police to
search his sprawling church compound in the southern Davao City, on suspicion
that he was hiding there in a bunker.
Philippine police spokesman Jean Fajardo said on Sunday that
Quiboloy was captured on Sunday inside the compound.
“There is no special treatment,” Marcos told reporters on
Monday. “We will not violate any of his rights and will not ignore any of his
requests, whatever they are.
“We will demonstrate once again that our judicial system in
the Philippines is active, vibrant and working,” the president added.
Quiboloy has rejected all charges against him but went into
hiding after two courts issued arrest warrants against him in April.
In 2021, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Mr
Quiboloy with sex trafficking of children, fraud and coercion, and bulk cash
smuggling.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said he
trafficked girls and women from the Philippines to the US, where they were
forced to solicit money for a bogus charity.
He also required his female personal assistants, who are
called “pastorals”, to have sex with him, the FBI said.
But as all this was happening, Mr Quiboloy was rising to
national prominence under then-president Rodrigo Duterte, previously serving as
spiritual adviser to the former leader.
However, his fortunes turned when Mr Duterte stepped down in
June 2022.
Filipino authorities soon charged him with child abuse,
sexual abuse and human trafficking and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
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