Philippines to charge US-wanted Duterte ally, the self-proclaimed ‘Son of God’, with sexual abuse
- The Philippines said it would file a sexual abuse charge against Filipino pastor, Apollo Quiboloy, for crimes committed against a 17-year-old victim in 2011
- The US charged Quiboloy in 2021 with sex-trafficking females aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants, who were allegedly required to have sex with him
The Philippines said on Monday it would file sexual abuse charges against a Filipino pastor who is wanted in the US for child sex trafficking.
Apollo Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed “Son of God” and ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is the founder of Philippines-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ church.
The US Justice Department charged Quiboloy in 2021 with sex-trafficking of girls and women aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals”, who were allegedly required to have sex with him.
On Monday, Philippine Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla said the victim in the latest case was 17 at the time the crimes were committed more than a decade ago, in 2011.
“We studied this case thoroughly, and it was proven that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his colleagues have to answer for this,” Remulla said.
“We all know it is difficult to file charges in a place where the accused are in positions of power,” he added.
Agence France-Presse has sought comment from Quiboloy’s church.
