Pastor arrested for child sexual abuse and human trafficking: Supporters resisted police
A Filipino pastor accused of child sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines has been taken into custody by police.
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Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church, who was wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges of child sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines, has been captured.
According to reports in the Philippine press, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos confirmed in a statement on social media that Pastor Quiboloy, who had been evading justice for 3 years, was captured in the city of Davao.
Police had been attempting to capture Quiboloy, who had been staying at his Kingdom of Jesus Christ church compound in the southern city of Davao for two weeks, but his supporters had been preventing law enforcement officers from entering the premises.
Following a 24-hour ultimatum issued by the police and armed forces, Pastor Quiboloy surrendered to law enforcement authorities.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated, '(Quiboloy) We will treat him like any other detainee and respect his rights. We will see the process through to the end. The process will be transparent. Everyone involved in the process will be held accountable.'
Marcos noted that there is no extradition request from the US for Quiboloy, emphasizing that the pastor must first be tried in local courts and answer to the charges brought against him.
Quiboloy was on the FBI's most wanted list.
In November 2021, the US Federal Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against Quiboloy and two high-ranking church officials on charges including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children and women, fraud, sham marriage, money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, and visa fraud.
In a statement, federal prosecutors announced that the leader of the Philippines-based church, which operates in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, USA, was accused of sexually abusing women and underage girls by forcing them through threats of 'damnation'.
Founded in 1985 and led by the 74-year-old Quiboloy, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church is claimed to have 6 million members in approximately 200 countries.
Quiboloy, a close friend of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, had described himself as the 'Appointed Son of God'.