Philippines arrests celebrity pastor Apollo Quiboloy, also wanted in US, for sex crimes
The pastor – ex-President Duterte’s spiritual adviser – is accused of sex trafficking and sex abuse, and is on the FBI’s ‘most wanted’ list
The Philippines said it arrested on Sunday a pastor wanted in the United States for child sex trafficking, two weeks into a massive police manhunt for the self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God”.
He was charged by the US Justice Department in 2021 with sex trafficking of girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals”, who were allegedly required to have sex with him.
Quiboloy and four other sect members were taken into custody at the church’s compound in the southern city of Davao following negotiations between his representatives and the police and military, Philippine police spokeswoman Colonel Jean Fajardo told reporters.
“This afternoon they negotiated their peaceful surrender after we gave them a 24-hour ultimatum,” Fajardo said.
Four hours later Quiboloy and the four sect members were flown by military aircraft to Manila, where they will be detained to stand trial for “child abuse, sexual abuse and qualified [human] trafficking”, Fajardo added.
Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos earlier on Sunday announced Quiboloy’s arrest on his official Facebook page.
