Janice R. Andrews
In a shocking turn of events, Apollo Quiboloy was caught after two weeks of fighting between his followers and the police. He was a powerful Filipino pastor and the head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). Quiboloy was caught in his huge church property in Davao. He was wanted by both the US and the Philippines on charges of selling children and people for sexual exploitation.
Arrest and Standoff with Followers
Law enforcement and Quiboloy’s loyal followers had been fighting for weeks, and thousands of them had come together to protect the complex. The huge 30-hectare (75-acre) land has many buildings, such as a private hangar, a church, and a school. It is said that this is where Quiboloy had been hiding.
During the raid, Quiboloy’s followers fought back violently with the police. One person from the church died of a heart attack during the fights between riot cops and protesters. There were reports that the preacher had been hidden in an underground bunker, and that heartbeats could be picked up by surveillance equipment inside the complex.
Even though Quiboloy’s lawyer said earlier that he had quietly turned himself in to stop more fighting, Interior Minister Benhur Abalos revealed that the pastor was actually arrested instead of turning himself in on his own. Witnesses gave important clues that helped police find Quiboloy in the compound’s bible school.
Charges of sex trafficking in the US
There were charges against Quiboloy by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2021 for child sex trafficking, theft, pressure, and smuggling large amounts of cash. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that Quiboloy brought young women and girls from the Philippines to the United States while forcing them to work for a fake organisation. It is said that Quiboloy pushed the victims to have sexual relations with him while they were pretending to be his “pastoral” helpers.
Both the FBI and Philippine officials have been looking for Quiboloy for years, so this arrest is a big step in an ongoing international probe. Even though he was in trouble with the law, Quiboloy continued to rise in the Philippines’ politics and religion.
Link to Duterte and Political Power
Quiboloy has been close to former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for a long time. He was his spiritual advisor while Duterte was president. This connection helped Quiboloy keep his important place in the country. That being said, things started to change after Duterte left office in June 2022. In the Philippines, he was charged with child abuse, sexual abuse, and selling people, and an arrest warrant was issued.
The US tried to extradite Quiboloy before Duterte left office, but it wasn’t until Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was president that efforts to bring him to justice stepped up. The fact that Quiboloy was arrested during a political period has made things even more complicated. Recently, there was a public fight between the Marcos and Duterte families. Vice President Sara Duterte, who is the daughter of the previous president, questioned the police’s use of force against the priest.
There were times when Quiboloy was hiding, and Duterte told the people that he knew where the priest was but wouldn’t tell the police. It’s still not clear if political pressure played a part in the delay in his arrest.
Arrest and What Happened Next
Quiboloy and four other people who were caught with him were flown to Manila and are now being held there. The police are now thinking about what to do next in his case. When asked if Quiboloy could be sent back to the US, President Marcos said that the idea was not being thought about at this time. This has made people wonder if Quiboloy will be tried first in the Philippines or if US officials will try to extradite him to the US to be tried there.
Even though he has been arrested and is facing more charges, Quiboloy continues to deny all of them. He said that the “devil” was behind the legal problems he was having before he was caught. He also told the FBI not to get involved in his case.
A Rich Way of Life and Power
In 1985, Quiboloy started the KOJC and said he was the “Appointed Son of God” because he had a spiritual experience at a Billy Graham event in South Korea. His church now says it has seven million followers around the world. A lot of people are interested in Quiboloy’s fancy lifestyle. He is said to fly in private jets and preach from a glass platform at his farm, called “Garden of Eden Restored.”
In addition to his religious power, Quiboloy has built up a lot of political power by supporting candidates who have a lot of followers. This is usual for religious leaders in the Philippines, where politics are often based on favouritism.
Investigations Still Going On
While Quiboloy waits to be tried, probes into the crimes he is accused of are still going on. His full range of power and activities, both in the Philippines and around the world, are still being closely watched. The police hope that his arrest will be the start of a new effort to break up his organisation and give justice to those who were hurt by him.
The case of Apollo Quiboloy has shocked people all over the Philippines and made people think about how religion, politics, and power affect each other. Since the minister was being sued, all eyes are on how the case will go in the future. He was once thought to be above the law.
