Reward offered for capture of Quiboloy, former Philippine President Duterte’s spiritual adviser

A group of Philippine citizens offered 10 million pesos (U.S. $170,760) Monday for information leading to the capture of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s spiritual adviser, who is wanted for alleged sex crimes in the Philippines and United States.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. announced the reward for the fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, the self-anointed son of God who heads the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), which is believed to have 6 million followers in the Philippines and abroad.

Quiboloy, 73, is wanted in the Philippines for alleged child and sexual abuse as well as trafficking, while also facing the same charges in the U.S.   

Abalos said the reward money was raised by unidentified individuals frustrated by the slow pace of justice to bring Quiboloy in.

“It is very simple. If you really are innocent, Pastor Quiboloy, there is a court. Surrender and face the accusations against you like any ordinary person,” Abalos said at a news conference. “It is simple. The law is the law.”

When asked whether Quiboloy was still in the Philippines, Abalos replied: “Well, as of now, our intelligence is that he remains … inside the country.”

Anyone helping Quiboloy hide from authorities could be charged with obstruction of justice under Philippine law, warned National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, who sat with Abalos at the news conference. 

Marbil said police were also looking at whether Duterte could be charged with aiding and abetting Quiboloy after the former president publicly said on June 30 that he knew about his religious adviser’s location but would not disclose it.

Last month, Duterte accused the government of persecuting Quiboloy, calling the raids on the televangelist’s known properties in Davao City “overkill.”

In November 2021, a U.S. grand jury charged Quiboloy on suspicion of orchestrating a sex-trafficking operation that 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. 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.

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

In March, Quiboloy’s church named Duterte as the administrator of its properties, while he went into hiding to evade being arrested on allegations of sexual assault in the United States. 

Quiboloy has also refused to appear before the Philippine Senate, which had held inquiries over the allegations against him.

Duterte once publicly admitted he had received expensive cars and property from Quiboloy when he was mayor of Davao City, although he claimed to have returned them. 

Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales contributed to this report from Davao City, the Philippines.