Arrest of notorious Filipino pastor seen as major blow to Duterte’s political fortunes

Rafaela David, chairwoman of the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party, said on Monday that Akbayan “linked Quiboloy’s arrest to the imminent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the thousands of extrajudicial killings during his regime.”

“The Duterte’s walls of impunity are crumbling. Quiboloy is a key ally of Duterte. His arrest is an important step in the broader fight against the legacy of killings, abuse and impunity of the previous regime. With his arrest, the Duterte’s are moving slowly but surely toward justice,” David said in a statement on Monday.

Quiboloy was forced to surrender on Sunday after Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, who was in charge of the arrest, finally gave the pastor 24 hours to surrender following a 16-day standoff at the sprawling compound of his church in Davao City.

Quiboloy, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church (KOJC), has been accused of multiple serious crimes, including sexual abuse, human trafficking and child exploitation, which Quiboloy and his church have steadfastly denied. Both Philippine and U.S. authorities have charged him, with the FBI listing him as a wanted man on human trafficking charges.