Last month, about 2,000 police officers, backed by riot squads, raided the huge compound in Davao city, sparking a 16-day manhunt.
An evangelical preacher accused of the sexual abuse of women and children, and human trafficking, and indicted by a federal court in the United States, has been captured in the Philippines after a manhunt that lasted for 16 days.
Apollo Quiboloy had gone into hiding earlier this year after a court ordered his arrest on suspicion of the sexual abuse of children, and last month, authorities stormed the compound of his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) group, in the City of Davao in the southern Philippines, but initially could not located him.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and the Philippines’ chief of national police, Maj. Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, announced Quiboloy’s arrest during a news conference—during which the preacher was paraded, along with others, with their faces covered—that was posted on Abalos’s Facebook account.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—who was elected in 2022—told journalists: “There is no special treatment. We will treat him like any other arrested person and respect his rights.”
Marcos’s vice president is Sara Duterte, whose father, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, was a close friend of Quiboloy, who was at one point his spiritual adviser.
Marcos, known as Bongbong and whose father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., led the country for decades before being ousted in 1986, said, “We will demonstrate once again that our judicial system in the Philippines is active, vibrant and working.”
The Philippine president denied that Quiboloy had surrendered after he agreed to conditions, including a guarantee that he would not be sent to the United States to face charges.
“Putting conditions is not an option for someone who is a fugitive,” he said.
‘Police Work At Its Best’
He described his capture as “police work at its best” and said, “It is with some relief that I can say that this phase of the operation is over. We will now leave Quiboloy to the judicial system.”
After being detained in Davao, Quiboloy was flown to Manila, where he remains in custody.
In February 2020, a federal grand jury in the United States indicted three top administrators of Quiboloy’s KOJC group for trafficking with respect to forced labor, document servitude, immigration fraud, and marriage fraud.
In a statement published at the time, the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles said there was evidence that at least 82 fraudulent marriages had been arranged so that KOJC workers could come to the United States from the Philippines and raise money, which “was used to finance KOJC operations and the lavish lifestyles of church leaders.”
In November 2021, the grand jury indicted Quiboloy and eight others on a superseding indictment that accused him of having sex with women and underage girls who faced threats of “eternal damnation” unless they complied.
In a statement at the time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Quiboloy “maintained large residences in Calabasas, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Kapolei, Hawaii.”
The indictment contained a string of charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling, and visa fraud.
Earlier this year, a court in the Philippines ordered that Quiboloy be arrested, and the Philippine Senate separately ordered his arrest for refusing to appear before committee hearings that were looking into criminal allegations against the KOJC group.
2,000 Police Stormed Compound
Last month, about 2,000 police officers, backed by riot squads, raided the huge KOJC compound in Davao city, despite protests by his supporters.
The 75-acre compound includes a cathedral, a stadium, a school, a residential area, a hangar, and a taxiway leading to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao.
Having not found him during an initial sweep, the police brought in equipment that could detect people hiding in underground tunnels.
Marcos had urged Quiboloy to surrender and assured him of fair treatment.
Quiboloy and his lawyer, Israelito Torreon, have denied the allegations against him, claiming that they have been fabricated by former members who were thrown out of KOJC.
Torreon told DZBB radio, “The innocence of Quiboloy will be affirmed by the court.”
Quiboloy had millions of followers in the Philippines and was a longtime friend of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is being investigated by the International Criminal Court in connection with the extrajudicial killings of thousands of drug suspects by police during his time in office.
The Philippines has an extradition treaty with the United States, but the country’s Department of Justice said in a statement on Sept. 9 that Quiboloy will first face trial in the Philippines and serve out any sentence there before he will be considered for extradition.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.