Philippine televangelist pleads not guilty to child abuse and human trafficking charges

On September 13, 2024, news from Manila, the Philippines. Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, a Philippine televangelist who calls himself “the anointed son of God,” pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse and human trafficking during a court arraignment.

Quiboloy and four co-defendants were brought to the regional trial court in Pasig City, Metro Manila under tight security to face human trafficking charges. Later, they were arraigned via video by another court handling a separate non-bailable child abuse case. The lawyer said Quiboloy entered a plea of not guilty in both courts. He also requested to be detained in a hospital due to illness, but no immediate decision was made.

The 74-year-old Quiboloy is the preacher and founder of the “Kingdom of Jesus Christ” organization. He also faces similar charges in the United States and is on the FBI's most wanted list. The president said they need to be tried in the Philippines first. Quiboloy surrendered on Sunday in his vast religious complex in an operation involving more than 2,000 police officers.

At his peak, Quiboloy was an influential religious leader and political power broker in the Philippines and had supported former president Duterte. He is accused of recruiting young believers to raise funds and threatening and beating victims if they fail to meet targets. Even more shockingly, he and his assistants are accused of deceiving girls into becoming “pastoral assistants” and raping them. Some victims testified at Senate hearings.

Quiboloy and his co-defendants deny any wrongdoing and say the charges are fabricated by critics and former members. Police said that after Quiboloy surrendered and was detained, at least five more believers may file criminal complaints. The interior secretary said Quiboloy uses religion as a cover for his crimes. Quiboloy has made outrageous remarks. In 2019, he claimed to have prevented a major earthquake. In the United States, federal prosecutors announced multiple charges against him in 2021, including having sex with underage girls.