Philippine police: More alleged victims come forward against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy

More alleged victims of Philippine megachurch leader Apollo Quiboloy, including minors, have come forward after his Sept. 8 arrest to give details about how he sexually abused them, police said Wednesday. 

The national police chief told reporters in Manila that several female victims provided crucial information about the reported abuse of young women under the influence of Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church and spiritual adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte.

These individuals were referred to as personal assistants or “pastorals” within Quiboloy’s church and were allegedly exploited and manipulated, said Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, director of the Philippine National Police (PNP).  

“These courageous victims have spoken up, revealing their harrowing experiences. The abuse they endured shows an alarming pattern of manipulation and exploitation,” Marbil said, without naming the witnesses.

“These so-called ‘inner circle pastorals’ were particularly vulnerable, with victims as young as 12 years old. Their testimonies have been crucial in uncovering the full extent of Quiboloy’s alleged crimes,” he added. 

Marbil said investigators were evaluating and verifying the information provided by the alleged victims. He did not provide additional details.

“This is just the beginning. The police are thoroughly examining the evidence to ensure that we build a solid case against Quiboloy. We will leave no stone unturned in this pursuit of justice,” Marbil said.

Marbil urged other potential victims of Quiboloy to come forward.

Quiboloy and four associates – KOJC officials Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada, Cresente Canada and Sylvia Cemanes – were arrested on Sunday night at the church’s sprawling compound in southern Davao City, after a months-long manhunt for the televangelist preacher. 

They remain in police custody in Manila and are due to be arraigned on Friday.

On Wednesday, PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo told reporters that alleged victims had reached out to the police during an operation to serve arrest warrants against Quiboloy and others inside the KOJC compound.

“During the 16-day police operation, some people approached the PNP and said that they were also victims of Pastor Quiboloy,” Fajardo said.

“So we are documenting those complaints without revealing the identities of the possible victims. We are now in the process of documenting those additional complaints.” 

KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon did not immediately respond to the latest allegations from the PNP. But he earlier said the pastor had denied all allegations against him.

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In November 2021, a U.S. grand jury charged Quiboloy on suspicion of orchestrating a sex-trafficking operation that allegedly coerced girls as young as 12 to have sex with him or risk “eternal damnation,” federal prosecutors said. 

U.S. prosecutors said the televangelist allegedly recruited girls and young women, ranging from 12 to 25 years old, to work as personal assistants or “pastorals” at his church. KOJC has branches in California.

Under the charges brought against him by U.S. federal authorities, Quiboloy faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted of sex trafficking, and five to 20 years if convicted of fraud and money laundering.

In June, ex-President Duterte accused the government of persecuting Quiboloy, calling the raids on the televangelist’s known properties in Davao City “overkill.”

Quiboloy founded KOJC in 1985. The sect, and his name, grew in national prominence when Duterte was elected president of the Philippines in 2016.

In March, Quiboloy’s church appointed Duterte as the administrator of its properties, while he went into hiding to evade being arrested.

Jeoffrey Maitem in southern Davao City and Gerard Carreon in Manila contributed to this report.

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