Founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the 74-year-old is wanted by the FBI and Philippine police for fraud, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Former President Rodrigo Duterte counted on him during the 2016 election campaign and he now manages his assets. His complicated relationship with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hampers the investigation.
Manila () – Although he claims to know the whereabouts of Apollo Quiboloy, the 74-year-old founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ “church”, former President Rodrigo Duterte has no intention of revealing his hiding place to the police. He himself told reporters on Sunday, June 30.
Self-proclaimed “chosen son of God,” Quiboloy is wanted by the FBI for human trafficking, sexual exploitation and fraud against his followers, who number around four million in the Philippines and two million in other countries. Now an arrest warrant has also been issued in Manila against the preacher (who believes himself to possess natural powers and omnipotence) and the friction between his supporters in Parliament and those who, on the contrary, call for his arrest and conviction is becoming increasingly evident.
Like other improvised pastors, Apollo Quiboloy also had an intense relationship with politics and on several occasions supported different candidates, including Duterte himself, president of the Philippines between 2016 and 2022. But if his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., due to the current situation, has distanced himself from Quiboloy, Duterte – who in the absence of the “pastor” administers the assets of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ – has preferred not to do so. He also shares with the self-proclaimed religious leader his origins from the island of Mindanao, and more specifically from the area of the capital, Davao, of which Duterte’s father and then his daughter Sara were mayors.
The former president, known for his provocations and his impulsive and authoritarian character, evidently believes he can avoid accusations of obstructing justice and – perhaps – give refuge to a wanted person. Security is backed by the fact that his daughter is the country’s vice president, despite the fact that Sara Duterte resigned as Minister of Education on June 19 due to disagreements with President Marcos.
On the other hand, although followers of the “church” have complained about the aggressiveness of the police in raids on their headquarters, Duterte has continued to show his support for the police, confirming his opposition to taking disciplinary measures in the event of abuses. An element that reinforces the feeling of impunity in relation to the former president, even though the Philippine police have declared that they will examine Duterte’s responsibility for obstruction of justice.
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