Who is Apollo Quiboloy, the Philippine pastor facing sex trafficking and child abuse charges?

Philippine pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the head of a mega-church with millions of followers, pleaded not guilty on Friday (Sep 13) to a charge of sex trafficking.

Last month, more than 2,000 police officers were deployed to arrest 74-year-old Quiboloy – a man who proclaimed himself the "owner of the universe" and the "appointed son of god".

The celebrity pastor faces a raft of criminal charges in the Philippines and the United States.

WHO IS APOLLO QUIBOLOY?

A mega-church leader and international evangelist, Quiboloy is a Filipino pastor who is accused of child abuse and sex trafficking, among other crimes.

His church - Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name - has garnered a following of more than 7 million worldwide. 

The pastor is known for his friendship with former president Rodrigo Duterte. He was Duterte's spiritual adviser while he was in office.

Quiboloy founded the church in September 1985 in Davao City. According to his social media accounts, it started with a handful of members at the Davao Y Gym. 

It grew quickly and now claims to have congregations in North America, South and Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

The church is housed in a 30ha compound - about the size of 43 football fields - in Davao, with a bunker that Quiboloy had reportedly hidden in while authorities were looking for him.

The 75-year-old also founded Filipino broadcaster Sonshine Media Network International.  

He has since distanced himself from the platform after authorities launched an investigation into it for violations such as disseminating false information, reported Philippine media outlet GMA News. 

He claimed in 2019 to have stopped an earthquake that rocked North Cotabato and nearby provinces.

In 2021, he warned people to stop "persecuting, prosecuting and maligning" him or suffer more from the COVID-19 pandemic, reported GMA.

WHAT ARE THE CHARGES AGAINST QUIBOLOY?

In 2021, Quiboloy and two top Kingdom of Jesus Christ administrators were named in a US indictment that charged them over allegedly running a sex trafficking operation between 2002 and 2018. 

According to the indictment, the trio recruited girls and women - aged between 12 and 25 - to work as Quiboloy’s personal assistants or “pastorals”. 

The victims were allegedly assigned to have sex with Quiboloy, something the victims described as "night duty".

They were told that having sex with him was "God’s will" and a "necessary demonstration" of their commitment to give their bodies to Quiboloy as the "appointed son of god", according to the indictment.

Those who obeyed were rewarded with good food, hotel stays, trips and annual payments based on their performance.

Those who hesitated faced the threat of verbal as well as physical abuse, and were told they had the "devil in them and risked eternal damnation", it added. 

Of the five victims named in the indictment, three of them were minors when the alleged sex trafficking began. 

The indictment also outlined a labour trafficking scheme.

Under Quiboloy's instructions, Kingdom of Jesus Christ administrators allegedly brought workers from the Philippines to the US. 

Once there, they confiscated all forms of identification and forced the workers to spend long hours soliciting money for the church. 

They told donors the money would be used for a charity - the Children’s Joy Foundation - but it was actually used to finance church operations and the "lavish lifestyles" of church leaders.

In the Philippines, Quiboloy faces similar charges of trafficking and child abuse. 

Accusations against the pastor for exploiting and abusing his followers began to emerge in the Philippines in 2023, prompting a Senate inquiry into the allegations, reported GMA News.

Quiboloy refused to attend the hearings despite the Senate issuing a subpoena against him in February this year.

Philippine news outlet ABS-CBN reported that an arrest order against him was signed in March for defying the Senate's summons.

A massive police operation at his church compound in Davao ended when he was arrested on Sunday.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said that the country is not looking to extradite the pastor to the US.

Quiboloy denied the charges and pleaded not guilty on Sep 13.

WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED?

On Sunday, four others were arrested in the Philippines alongside Quiboloy. All four have also been charged in the Philippines with trafficking and child abuse. 

The US indictment names nine people, including Quiboloy. The other eight are Teresita Tolibas Dandan, Helen Panilag, Felina Salinas, Guia Cabactulan, Marissa Duenas, Amanda Estopare, Bettina Padilla Roces and Maria De Leon.

Dandan, also known as "Sis Ting" was the international administrator and one of the top overseers of the church and bogus charity in the US.

Salinas was allegedly responsible for collecting and securing passports and other documents from church workers in Hawaii. 

The Philippine police said on Wednesday that more people have come forward alleging sexual abuse by Quiboloy. 

“These courageous victims have spoken up, revealing their harrowing experiences. The abuse they endured shows an alarming pattern of manipulation and exploitation," Philippine police chief General Francisco Marbil said in a statement.

He did not specify how many people have come forward. 

On Sep 13, Quiboloy pleaded not guilty to a charge of sex trafficking, said his lawyer Israelito Torreon. 

"He is innocent," Torreon told reporters after an arraignment in Manila. 

Joahna Paula Domingo, a co-counsel of the alleged victim, said the cases have been filed since 2019.

"It is our firm belief that the truth regarding the alleged criminal acts of Apollo C Quiboloy and his co-accused will ultimately be disclosed," she said in a statement released ahead of the Sep 13 arraignment.