Quiboloy in government custody, end of stalemate with KOJC

DAVAO CITY—Fugitive Apollo Quiboloy, the leader of a religious sect facing charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, emerged Sunday, ending a months-long hiatus.

The circumstances under which he surfaced are still unclear, but it is suspected that he surrendered to the Philippine Armed Forces Intelligence Service (ISAFP) rather than the police.

Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Davao regional police commander, said he was not aware of the circumstances, telling government television only that he only knew that a C-130 “Hercules” military cargo plane had landed at the air force section of the Davao airport and that he had been ordered to move nine vehicles from the hangar to the Tactical Operations Group section of the air force airport.

“The details of Quiboloy’s arrest are best asked to the SILG (Secretary Benhur Abalos of the Interior and Local Government) because I really don’t know the details,” he said.

Torre led the execution of the arrest warrants against Quiboloy.

This fueled suspicions that Quiboloy surrendered himself to the military. The local newspaper, Mindanao Times, posted a short message on its Facebook account, saying that the pastor “surrendered to Maj. Gen. Edmundo Peralta, ISAFP chief, on Sunday, September 8.” Peralta told the Times that he would be taken to the ISAFP headquarters in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

A reward of 15 million pesos was offered for Quiboloy’s arrest.

Quiboloy is facing charges under Sections 5(b) and 10(a) of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act before the Regional Trial Court in Davao City, Sections 106 and 112. These cases have been transferred by the Supreme Court to the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City.

He also faces qualified charges of human trafficking under Section 4(a) of Republic Act 9208, as amended, at Section 157 of the RTC in Pasig City.

The Davao and Pasig courts issued arrest warrants against Quiboloy, as well as against the Senate, for failing to comply with the summons issued by the Senate.

Also charged with Quiboloy in the sexual abuse and child abuse cases were Jackielyn W. Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid C. Canada and Sylvia Cemanes.

Quiboloy, a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, also faces charges in the U.S. including sex trafficking, child sex trafficking and massive cash smuggling. A federal grand jury in California indicted him in November 2021 on charges including obtaining allegedly fraudulent visas to enter the United States for members of the religious group he founded. The Federal Bureau of Investigation placed him on its most wanted list the following year.

Quiboloy later announced in February of this year that he was “in hiding” out of fear for his life amid allegations that the Marcos government had given US agents free rein to deal with him.

“Since 2018 until now, we can no longer feel comfortable in our own country; we have lost our freedom because we are under surveillance here. I am under surveillance in the Philippines by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). In my own country, I am hiding because they can arrest me without going through extradition proceedings,” Quiboloy said in a video statement on Wednesday.

He cited “reliable sources” who said that U.S. agents were no longer interested in extraditing him to the U.S. to face human trafficking charges in a U.S. court. “What they want to do, according to the CIA, the FBI, the U.S. Embassy, ​​the State Department, in coordination with our government of President Marcos and the First Lady, and whoever is in the government, is extradition.”

Torre said he thanked his police personnel who helped comb the 30-hectare compound of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name (KOJC) and said he would donate a “lechon” for their thanksgiving celebration.

Abalos first broke the news of Quiboloy’s arrest in a brief announcement on his Facebook page.

Abalos told a television station that Quiboloy was arrested at 6 p.m. at the KOJC complex in Davao City, where police had been searching for him since August 24.

Reacting to the development, Senate Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros praised the arrest and said in a statement that the Senate investigation into misconduct at the KOJC, including human trafficking and child abuse, will resume.

“Mananagot ka (you will be held accountable), Apollo Quiboloy. You cannot evade the law. You will not delay justice any longer. Abot kamay na ng mga victim-survivors ang hustisya, salamat sa kanilang paglalakas-loob na magsabi ng katotohanan (Justice is within reach for victim-survivors, thanks to their courage to speak the truth),” said Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, Women and Children, which first conducted an investigation into Quiboloy’s activities.

“We commend our law enforcement agencies for their tireless efforts and dedication despite Quiboloy’s tactics. Our investigation will continue to put an end to the abuse of our most vulnerable in society. The days of people like her who flaunt their power, ignore the law and abuse women, children and fellow Filipinos are numbered,” Hontiveros added, partly in Filipino.

Quiboloy is charged with violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act and the non-bailable criminal case of aggravated human trafficking before a Pasig court.

The Supreme Court had earlier ordered that Quiboloy’s cases be transferred to the regional trial court in Quezon City.