On 8th September, prominent Filipino pastor Apollo Quiboloy was arrested in the Philippines after a tense two-week standoff between police and his followers. He was wanted by both Philippine and US authorities for child sex trafficking. Quiboloy claims to be the “Appointed Son of God.” He was apprehended from his church compound, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). During the standoff, there were violent clashes between the security forces and his followers, leading to the death of one from a heart attack.
Quiboloy’s church claims that he has seven million followers. He has denied the charges of child sex trafficking against him. Notably, in 2021, the Department of Justice charged him with child sex trafficking, fraud, coercion, and bulk cash smuggling. It was alleged that he trafficked girls and women from the Philippines to the US under the guise of a charity. He then forced them into fundraising and sexual servitude.
Despite the allegations against him, the pastor maintained a high profile. He served as a spiritual adviser to the former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte. In 2022, when Duterte departed from office, Quiboloy’s fortunes started to fade away. The Filipino authorities subsequently charged him with human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual abuse.
His recent arrest became possible only after a two-week standoff that unfolded in the 30-hectare KOJC compound in Davao. In a statement, Interior Minister Benhur Abalos said that he was found hiding in the bible school of the compound. Though Quiboloy’s lawyer claimed that he surrendered to the authorities to avoid further violence, Abalos clarified that it was not a voluntary surrender.
Following his arrest, Quiboloy and four others were shifted to the national police headquarters in Manila. Interestingly, he has accused the “devil” himself of orchestrating the legal troubles against him. He dismissed the US involvement in the case. Notably, the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Junior, has dismissed the possibility of extradition of the pastor to the US and said it is not under consideration by the Philippine authorities.
The arrest of Quiboloy has once again brought the public rift between Marcos and Duterte’s political families to the forefront. When the US sought the pastor’s arrest, Duterte was in power. It was under Marcos’s administration that the pastor was finally arrested. During the time the pastor was hiding, Duterte admitted to knowing his whereabouts but refused to disclose the information to the police. Duterte’s daughter and Vice President Sara Duterte issued statements criticising police for allegedly using unnecessary force to arrest Quiboloy.
Quiboloy established his church in 1985. He claimed to have received a divine message during a Billy Graham event in 1973. Quiboloy was known for his luxurious lifestyle. He used to travel in a private jet and preached from a glass podium against a backdrop of his lush estate, the “Garden of Eden Restored.” He often used his influence in politics as well by endorsing candidates.
