Heavy guard: Quiboloy (centre) being escorted by officers as he leaves the Pasig Regional Trial Court in Pasig City. — AP
A PASTOR wanted in the United States for sex trafficking children pleaded not guilty to similar charges at a Manila court, his lawyer said.
Apollo Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed “appointed son of God” and ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, surrendered last Sunday two weeks into a police search of his sect’s sprawling compound in Davao City.
Quiboloy faces life in prison in the Philippines if found guilty of human trafficking in a case involving the alleged use of women and child sect members to sell goods and raise funds for his church.
A US grand jury has separately indicted Quiboloy for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of children, as well as bulk cash smuggling.
The 2021 US indictment alleges women were recruited as personal assistants for Quiboloy to prepare his meals, clean his residence, give him massages and have sex with him.
Following his arrest in Davao, police said more victims, including girls as young as 12, have come forward to allege sex crimes committed against them by the pastor.
Quiboloy’s influential Kingdom of Christ Church claims millions of followers in the Philippines and owns a television network. — AFP
