Pasig City RTC Schedules Summons for Human Trafficking Co-Defendant Quiboloy on September 13

Apollo C. Quiboloy, founder of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), and four of his co-defendants are scheduled to appear in a Pasig City court on September 13 at 8:30 a.m. on charges of aggravated human trafficking. They will be arraigned before the Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Earlier, however, the Quezon City RTC had already issued the summons against Quibuloy and his co-defendants for violations of Section 10(a) of Republic Act No. 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, also at 8:30 a.m. on September 13.

At the time of posting, it was not yet known whether either court had changed the date and time of the summons.

During the arraignment, the court reads the nature of the charges against the defendant and asks them to enter a plea of ​​guilty or not guilty. If a defendant refuses to enter a plea, a plea of ​​not guilty is entered into the case files.

In its order, the Pasig City RTC directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to produce Quiboloy and the four other suspects – Cresente Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemanes — about the time and date of the scheduled summons.

Quiboloy’s co-defendants in the Quezon City RTC case are the same as the co-defendants in the Pasig City RTC case.

In the Pasig City RTC case, the criminal record stated that all the suspects has committed aggravated trafficking in persons under Section (a) of Republic Act (RA) 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

The cases pending before the two RTCs involved the alleged sexual abuse and human trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in 2011.