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Apollo Carreon Quiboloy (; born April 25, 1950) is a Filipino pastor and the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC or KJC), a Restorationist church based in the Philippines. He founded the KOJC in 1985, proclaiming himself the "Appointed Son of God" and the "Owner of the Universe". Quiboloy is notable for founding the broadcasting network Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) and gained further recognition for his close ties with the 16th Philippine president,
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
. Quiboloy is currently on the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
's wanted list after the
Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, m ...
indicted him and his accomplices for various crimes, including
sex Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...
and
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
, marriage fraud,
coercion Coercion involves compelling a party to act in an involuntary manner through the use of threats, including threats to use force against that party. It involves a set of forceful actions which violate the free will of an individual in order to i ...
,
money laundering Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...
, cash
smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...
, and other charges. After refusing to cooperate with Philippine government inquiries into the alleged human rights violations, the
Senate of the Philippines The Senate of the Philippines () is the upper house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of Representatives as the lower house. The ...
issued an arrest warrant on March 19, 2024, and the
Department of the Interior and Local Government The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards ...
offered a () bounty for information leading to Quiboloy's arrest on July 8, 2024. Quiboloy was arrested on September 8, 2024.


Early life

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy was born on April 25, 1950 in
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
to
Kapampangan Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to: *Kapampangan people, of the Philippines *Kapampangan language Kapampangan, Capampáñgan, or Pampangan, is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. ...
parents José Quiboloy y Turla and María Carreón y Sambat (born December 28, 1913). The youngest out of nine children, his parents were natives from Lubao, before migrating after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
to seek better work opportunities.


Early religious involvement


Oneness Pentecostal and the UPCP

Quiboloy's father, José, was originally a Protestant and member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, before moving to
Oneness Pentecostal Oneness Pentecostalism (also known as Apostolic Pentecostalism, Jesus' Name Pentecostalism, or the Oneness movement) is a nontrinitarian branch of Pentecostal Christianity that emphasizes the absolute oneness of God and the full deity of Jesus C ...
with his four sons. His family were locally known as pastor-leaders during the early years of the United Pentecostal Church of the Philippines (UPCP) in Davao. Apollo's sibling, Jose, later became the Assistant General Superintendent of the UPCP before moving for independent work at the Greater Manila area. Apollo claims to have started experiencing spiritual visions at the age of 14, during a visit to Malungon,
South Cotabato South Cotabato, officially the Province of South Cotabato, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen Regions of the Philippines, region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal (also the regional cen ...
(now
Sarangani Sarangani, officially the Province of Sarangani (; ; Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Sarangani'', Jawi Alphabet, Jawi: دايرت نو سرڠان; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the ...
). According to his website, he envisioned encounters with the Lord and the earth being burnt in a bowl of fire. These visions also include captions such as "...the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come" and "If ye shall seek me ye shall find me in my way". Quiboloy would recall these visions as the
Second Coming of Jesus The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his ascension to Heaven (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago). The ...
.


Career with UPCP as the "Preaching Machine"

Quiboloy never saw preaching as his future career, originally expressing desires to become a nautical engineer and pilot. However, because of the benefits that came with
Bible college A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute or theological seminary, is an evangelical Christian or Restoration Movement Christianity, Christian institution of higher education which prepares students for C ...
including free board and meals, fully-paid tuition fees and a free boat ride to Manila, he continued to study theology at the United Pentecostal Bible Institute (later the Apostolic Center for Theological Studies), graduating in 1972. He continued to preach for the UPCP after completing college and gained moniker as a "Preaching Machine". On 1973, the UPCP nominated Quiboloy to represent them at the International Youth Corps World Conference held at
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
. The denomination would also elect Quiboloy as UPCP's national youth president in 1974.


Conflict with UPCP and founding of KOJC

After involving himself with another preacher named "Major Sanchez"'','' Apollo was disfellowshipped by the UPCP in 1979. According to church documents, Sanchez was recently placed out-of-bounds by other pastors in Davao. Quiboloy later re-applied and expressed sorrow. He was accepted back in 1980. Upon returning in 1980, Quiboloy was reassigned to preach at the Agdao church to slowly regain reputation to his church. However, he was investigated by the UPCP board again in 1985 after he introduced unorthodox ideals and inducing hate to neighboring pastors. According to documentation, Quiboloy told his followers on one occasion that other UPCP pastors are 'unqualified' and 'ignorant'. On September 1, 1985—before a scheduled meeting with UPCP's district board—Quiboloy would vacate the Agdao church with several followers to assemble his new denomination, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name.


Kingdom of Jesus Christ

Quiboloy founded the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (also known as KOJC or KJC) on September 1, 1985 and appointed himself as leader and Executive Pastor. He started preaching at the slums of Villamor, Agdao with 15 members and received critical comments due to his claims on being the "Appointed Son of God". Their main cathedral is beside
Francisco Bangoy International Airport Francisco Bangoy International Airport , also known as Davao International Airport, is the main airport serving Davao City and Davao Region in the Philippines. Serving as the main gateway to Mindanao, it is the busiest airport on the island an ...
just along the Carlos P. Garcia National Highway in Buhangin, Davao City. Their church followers would refer to themselves as the "Kingdom Nation". The church claims to have around 4 million followers within the Philippines and over 2 million in other territories. Their schedule on weekdays involves members hosting Bible sessions and prayer services. Another event, titled Sounds of Worship is held every Sunday online and at their main cathedral in Buhangin, Davao City.


Divinity claims

Quiboloy is known for claiming possession of divinity such as 'stopping' the 2019 Cotabato earthquakes on his command. He'd would later tell that the public should thank him for the act. He has publicly said that he did not do the same to stop the onslaught of
Typhoon Kammuri Typhoon Kammuri, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Tisoy, was a powerful typhoon which impacted the Philippines in early December 2019. Kammuri, which means ''crown'' or ''Corona Borealis'' in Japanese, the twenty-eighth named storm and six ...
(Tisoy) in response to those critical of his earlier claim in stopping the Cotabato earthquakes. During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Quiboloy claimed on his YouTube channel that the emergence of the
Omicron variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a Variants of SARS-CoV-2, variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has ...
is caused by his prosecution from the US and the negative criticism from the public. He claimed that the virus will stop if freed from his active charges.


Involvement with other related organizations


Jose Maria College

Quiboloy later founded the Jose Maria College in 2000 naming the institution after his parents. They are currently offering more than 30 programmes from basic, grade-school education, specialised Medicine and Law programmes, to TESDA-accredited vocational courses.


Swara Sug Network Corporation

Under Quiboloy's leadership, the church founded the Swara Sug Network Corporation (SSMC), famously known as the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI). The network served as the KOJC's official media platform. Before establishing the SSMC, they would utilise agreements with local radio stations in Davao (
DXDC DXDC (621 AM) RMN Davao is a radio station owned and operated by the Radio Mindanao Network. The station's studio is located at the 2/F San Vicente Bldg., Iñigo St. cor. Bonifacio St., Davao City, and its transmitter is located at Gatdula H ...
and
DXUM DXUM (819 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station owned and operated by UM Broadcasting Network through its licensee, Mt. Apo Broadcasting System. It serves as the flagship station of UMBN's News & Public Affairs network, formerly known as Rady ...
) to host their local programmes such as ''Pagsusi sa Kamatuoran'' ("Searching for Truth" or "''Paghahanap ng Katotohanan")'' among others. In 1991, they launched their first television program titled ''The Hour of Truth'' by utilising blocktime agreements with IBC and
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...
stations throughout cities in Visayas and Mindanao.


Political involvement


Endorsements and affiliations

Quiboloy has supported
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
's
presidential campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referen ...
to earn a regular term in the 2004 election. Arroyo became president in 2001 after
Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...
was deposed in the
Second EDSA Revolution The Second EDSA Revolution (), also known as the Second People Power Revolution, EDSA 2001, or EDSA II (pronounced ''EDSA Two'' or ''EDSA Dos'', the Spanish word for "two"), was a political protest from January 17–20, 2001 which peacefully ...
. Quiboloy endorsed the candidacy of
Gilbert Teodoro Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo Cojuangco Teodoro Jr. (born June 14, 1964), nicknamed Gibo (), is a Filipino lawyer, politician and business executive, who has served as the secretary of national defense under President Bongbong Marcos since 2023. He ...
for the
2010 Philippine presidential election Presidential elections in the Philippines were held on May 10, 2010. The incumbent President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was ineligible to seek re-election as per the 1987 Constitution. Incumbent Vice-President Noli de Castro ...
. Teodoro was the preferred candidate of the then-incumbent Arroyo administration. However Quiboloy would endorse
Mar Roxas Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II (; born May 13, 1957) is a Filipino politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines. He is the grandson and namesake of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas. He served in the Cabinet of the Philippines ...
for the vice presidency and not Teodoro's running mate
Edu Manzano Eduardo "Edu" Barrios Manzano (; born September 14, 1955) is a Filipino actor, television presenter, and politician. He hosted the game shows ''The Weakest Link'', '' Pilipinas, Game KNB?'', '' 1 vs. 100'', '' Asar Talo Lahat Panalo!'', and '' ...
. Teodoro finished fourth in the election with 4,095,839 votes (or 11.33%). He remarked that he was disturbed by reports of fraud and cheating and wondered to whom did votes from his church go. Quiboloy is a close associate of
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
. In the
2016 elections Africa Benin Republic *2016 Beninese presidential election 6 March 2016 Cape Verde * 2016 Cape Verdean presidential election 2 October 2016 Chad * 2016 Chadian presidential election 10 April 2016 Djibouti * 2016 Djiboutian presidential ...
, Quiboloy and the members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ endorsed the presidential candidacy of
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
mayor Duterte and his running mate Senator
Alan Peter Cayetano Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano ( Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino lawyer, diplomat, and politician serving as a senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 2 ...
. Quiboloy also lent his private jet and helicopter to be used in Duterte's presidential campaign. Quiboloy also served as Duterte's spiritual adviser during his presidency. Post-presidency, Duterte would serve as the administrator of the assets of the pastor's church amidst Quiboloy facing scrutiny from the Philippine government. In the 2022 elections, Quiboloy endorsed the candidacy of
Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
who was running for president. He supported his vice presidential candidate,
Sara Duterte Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president (after Gloria Macap ...
as well. Quiboloy's parents' loyal support for former President
Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
was a factor for the endorsement. Quiboloy at the time have been reportedly good friends with the
Marcos family The Marcos family ( , , ) is a political family in the Philippines. They have established themselves in the country's politics, having established a political dynasty that traces its beginnings to the 1925 election of Mariano Marcos to the Phi ...
in general. However, following inquiries made by both houses of the
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
against him and SMNI, relations have deteriorated. In February 2024, Quiboloy alleged that President Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos are conspiring with the United States to assassinate him. However he has remained cordial with Senator
Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as a Senate of the Philippines, senator since 2019. She previously served as governor of Ilocos Norte ...
who insists the pastor has been kind to many people.


2025 Senate electoral bid

In October 2024, Quiboloy filed his certificate of candidacy for the
2025 Philippine Senate election The 2025 Philippine Senate election was the 35th Philippine Senate elections, election of members to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on May 12, 2025, within the 2025 Philippine general election. The seats of the 12 senators elected ...
through his lawyer, Mark Tolentino. He initially ran under the Workers' and Peasants' Party (WPP). However, the WPP's Sonny Matula denied signing Quiboloy's candidacy form. On October 17, Matula filed a petition to disqualify Quiboloy's candidacy at the
Commission on Elections An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
on grounds of "material representation". In response, Quiboloy also filed a petition to have Matula and his entire senatorial slate disqualified on the same grounds. On October 21, Quiboloy withdrew his representation of the WPP and formally ran as an
independent candidate An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have polit ...
. On December 18, COMELEC dismissed the disqualification case against Quiboloy, citing insufficient and incorrect evidence. Quiboloy officially launched his campaign in February 11, 2025. His platform is focused on dealing with corruption and national security. He proposed the imposition of death penalty for politicians convicted of corruption offenses. In March 2025, Quiboloy was sued by hip-hop artist
Omar Baliw Omar Harry Balmes Manzano, professionally known as Omar Baliw, is a Filipino rapper. Career Omar Harry Manzano is a native of Naga, Camarines Sur but is a resident of Embo, Taguig, Pembo, Makati (now Taguig). He started making music while he was ...
for copyright infringement after one of his songs was used as an electoral jingle by Quiboloy's campaign. Quiboloy was defeated in the Senate election, finishing in 31st place. In response to the result, he called for a manual recount of the votes, citing "numerous reports of overvoting anomalies, inconsistencies in ballot readings, and other electoral irregularities."


Communist rebellion

Quiboloy has criticised the
Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP; ) is a far-left, Marxist–Leninist–Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. The CPP has been fighting a gue ...
,
New People's Army The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...
, and the National Democratic Front (CPP–NPA–NDF) which forms a triumvirate waging a communist rebellion against the Philippine government. Likewise, he has accused several political figures of being associated with or sympathizers of the CPP–NPA–NDF. He also considered running for the 2022 presidential election, under an anti-communist platform which targeted rebels and alleged sympathizers.


Controversies


Allegations of brainwashing by a former church member

Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ have been sued by a woman for allegedly
brainwashing Brainwashing is the controversial idea that the human mind can be altered or controlled against a person's will by manipulative psychological techniques. Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject's ability to think critically or independently ...
and holding her 19-year-old daughter, who joined the church in 2004, against her will.


Dispute with the New People's Army

The
New People's Army The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...
(NPA), the armed wing of the
Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP; ) is a far-left, Marxist–Leninist–Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. The CPP has been fighting a gue ...
, has accused Quiboloy of being behind the massacre of K'lata-Bagobo leader Datu Domingo Diarog and his family on April 29, 2008, for allegedly refusing to sell of their property for ₱50,000 to Quiboloy and his sect. The property is within the ancestral domain claimed by the Bagobo people in Tugbok and is adjacent to Quiboloy's walled "prayer mountain" in Tamayong. Diarog's widow said followers of Quiboloy had threatened to evict them from the land and her relatives were even offered a ₱20,000 bounty for Diarog's head.Why did they kill the Bagobo datu?, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Quiboloy, however, said the charges were "totally false and baseless, if not ridiculous." While Quiboloy has branded the rebels "''mga anak ni Satanas''" (" Satan's children"), the NPA has declared him a "warlord in the service of the Arroyo administration's policies against the peasants and indigenous peoples." Police investigator Ireneo Dalogdog, head of the Tugbok police office, said he had been receiving reports that Diarog was being harassed by armed men associated with Quiboloy, and that Diarog's farmhouse had earlier been razed three times.


ABS-CBN shutdown

In November 2019, comedian
Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), known professionally as Vice Ganda (), is a Filipino comedian, actor, host, singer and television personality. He is considered one of the most successful entertainers in Philippine show business ...
satirized Quiboloy's claims of stopping the series of earthquakes in Mindanao by exclaiming "Stop!" during an impromptu sketch in '' It's Showtime!''. Vice sardonically challenged Quiboloy to also stop the country's longest running television series ''
Ang Probinsyano ''FPJ's Ang Probinsyano'' (international title: ''Brothers''; ) is a Philippine television drama action series broadcast by ABS-CBN and Kapamilya Channel. The series is based on the 1996 Philippine film of the same title. Directed by Ma ...
'', which had been aired on
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...
for at least five years at that point. Quiboloy accepted the challenge and declared that in four months, the whole network's operations would shut down as well. On May 5, 2020, the
National Telecommunications Commission The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC; ) is the telecommunications regulator of the Philippines. It is an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology responsible for the supervision, adjudication ...
ordered ABS-CBN to cease its television and radio broadcasting operations after their 25-year broadcast franchise expired the previous day, and officially signed off at 7:52 p.m (local time) the same day. More than two months later, on July 10, 2020, the
House of Representatives of the Philippines The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The ...
rejected the new ABS-CBN franchise bid after a 70–11 vote against it. Following this, ABS-CBN shifted its news, radio, and entertainment operations into online platforms and other television networks. ''Ang Probinsyano'' released its series finale on August 12, 2022.


Ongoing accusations, indictments, and sanctions

The prosecutors for the
Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, m ...
indicted Quiboloy and top church administrators for
conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...
to conduct human and sex trafficking, money laundering, immigration fraud and other charges on November 11, 2021. The prosecutors also alleges that followers were coerced by Apollo and administrators into soliciting funds at long hours with little to no pay. Some followers were sexually and physically abused by Quiboloy and other church administrators, under the guise of avoiding ' eternal damnation'.


Full-time workers

Some of KOJC's followers were assigned as 'full time workers' (FTW's) to help with fundraising activities nationwide and internationally. Some of these workers were coerced, forced, and physically abused by Quiboloy as well as the church administrators to strictly follow church rules and meet fundraising quotas.


Full-time workers in North America

The highest-achieving full-time workers (workers that raised most funds in the Philippines) were nominated by church personnel to fundraise in North America. Apollo's administrators would falsify their visa applications, claiming that they're only travelling for church-related performances. The administrators would also arrange sham marriages with other church followers in the US in order for the FTW's to continue soliciting funds in the United States. Upon arriving in the United States, church administrators would confiscate the workers' passports and coerce them into soliciting and fundraising. Lead administrators created non-profit entities such as the "Children's Joy Foundation USA" as their platform to fundraise. Full-time workers would claim that any funds raised are for helping impoverished children in the Philippines but prosecutors allege that in reality, most or all of the raised money were used to fund Quiboloy and their administrator's lavish lifestyle.


'Night duty' and pastorals

According to the indictment, some ladies were forced to "night duties", in which they were sexually abused by Quiboloy. Prosecutors stated that they will also retrieve Quiboloy's US assets originating from ill-gotten wealth, alleging that he used church donations to pay for his lifestyle. On February 5, 2022, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
released a
wanted poster A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...
for Quiboloy. As of August 2022, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs is still yet to receive an
extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...
request from the US Department of Justice. Once found to be sufficient, the request can then be endorsed to the Philippine
Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
. On December 10, 2022, the
US Department of Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...
and
Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
imposed sanctions on Quiboloy for gross human rights abuses and corruption. These sanctions come on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day, wherein the United States sanctioned up to 40 individuals and entities from nine different countries for corruption and human rights violations. The sanctions were imposed based b
Executive Order 13818
pursuant to the US Global Magnitsky Act. Quiboloy is accused of being involved in the sexual abuse and human trafficking of young girls within his religious group. The US imposed the following sanctions on Quiboloy. * All properties and interests that are in the US or in possession of US persons are blocked and must be referred to the US’ treasury department. * Any entities directly or indirectly owned, 50% or more are blocked. * All transactions of US persons or within/transiting in the US that involve any of Quiboloy's property or interests in property are prohibited, unless authorized. * Making or receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for Quiboloy's benefit are also prohibited. On March 1, 2024, Terry J. Hatter Jr. ordered the unsealing of the
arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a jud ...
s requested by the
United States Department of Justice Criminal Division The United States Department of Justice Criminal Division is a federal agency of the United States Department of Justice that develops, enforces, and supervises the application of all federal criminal laws in the United States. Criminal Divisi ...
against Quiboloy as first step in the
extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...
process initiation. Quiboloy's assets in the United States are sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury
Office of Foreign Assets Control The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, United States Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade economic sanctions, ...
(OFAC) on December 10, 2022 after the OFAC imposed more than 40 individuals and entities for corruption and human rights abuses.


Philippine Senate inquiry contempt order

On February 21, 2024, Quiboloy, in an almost 40-minute audio recording, claimed that the US, President Bongbong Marcos, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos conspired in a plot to assassinate him, prompting him to go into hiding for his safety. Quiboloy said the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
had placed a $2 million bounty on him, that his reputation was being maliciously tarnished, and that he was being persecuted because of his relationship with the Duterte family. Senator Risa Hontiveros responded by saying Quiboloy should "stop playing a victim" and "simply to face the allegations in the legal process" or face arrest; meanwhile, the US Embassy in the Philippines said it was confident Quiboloy will "face justice for his heinous crimes". Supporters of Quiboloy held a protest at
Liwasang Bonifacio The Liwasang Bonifacio (''Bonifacio Square''), also known by its former name, Plaza Lawton, is a city square and transport hub in front of the Manila Central Post Office in the Ermita district of Manila, Philippines. It lies at the south end of ...
on March 4, holding placards bearing the messages "Justice for Pastor Apollo", "Resign Risa Hontiveros", "Restore Freedom of Expression", and "Stop Human Rights Abuses". On March 5, Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, cited Quiboloy in contempt "for his refusal to be sworn or to testify" before an ongoing Senate investigation of alleged crimes within Quiboloy's organization; Hontiveros further requested the Senate President to order his arrest so that Quiboloy "may be brought to testify". Senator
Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a Filipino actor, film director, and politician serving as senator of the Philippines. He is known as the "Bad Boy" of Philippine cin ...
moved to block the arrest order, describing Quiboloy "as a hero and a victim" for fighting the New Peoples Army; Padilla initiated a letter of objection to Quiboloy's arrest signed by him and three other Senators—
Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as a Senate of the Philippines, senator since 2019. She previously served as governor of Ilocos Norte ...
,
Cynthia Villar Cynthia Aguilar Villar (, born Cynthia Ampaya Aguilar on July 29, 1950) is a Filipina politician currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. She was a member of the House of Representatives for the Lone District of Las Piñas from 2001 ...
, and Bong Go. In early July 2024, a 10 million bounty was offered by the
Department of Interior and Local Government The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety and strengthening local government capability aimed towards t ...
(DILG) for information that would lead to Quiboloy's arrest. Quiboloy's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, questioned the bounty as it came from anonymous private persons, whose identities the DILG refused to disclosed.


Philippine justice department case

On March 19, 2024, the DOJ filed child abuse and human trafficking charges against Quiboloy and co-accused Jackielyn W. Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid C. Canada, and Sylvia Cemane. The Information charged Quiboloy of Qualified Human Trafficking charges under Section 4 (a) of Republic Act No. 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 as amended, before a Pasig court. The charges under Section 5(b) and Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610, the "Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act" were also filed against Quiboloy before a Davao court. No
bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Court bail may be offered to secure the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when ...
was recommended for the charges. The Davao Regional Trial Court Branch 12-Family Court, in an Order dated April 1, 2024 of Judge Dante Baguio, declined to defer the immediate implementation of an
arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a jud ...
against Apollo Quiboloy and five others for child abuse and sexual abuse. On April 3, the NBI placed under its custody the 3 accused after having arrested Barangay Tamayong, District
Calinan Calinan is an administrative district of Davao City in the Philippines, which in 2020 had a population of 102,485. It is situated in the 3rd congressional district of Davao City. Calinan is known for production of durian, cacao beans, pineapple ...
Chairman, Cresente Canada, while KOJC church associates Paulene Canada and Sylvia Cemañes voluntarily surrendered. The 3 were all freed after having posted P80,000 bail each. Accordingly, the
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
Police forthwith served the arrest warrants against Quiboloy and his co-accused. "The Officers went to the KOJC headquarters to serve the warrant," Davao Region Police Director PBGen. Alden B. Delvo, PRO 11 said. The NBI would consider Quiboloy as a fugitive. On April 4, Jackielyn Roy and Ingrid Canada, the personal assistants of Quiboloy surrendered to the NBI and were freed after having posted P80,000 bail each. The
Supreme Court of the Philippines The Supreme Court (; colloquially referred to as the ' (also used in formal writing), is the highest court in the Philippines. It was established by the Taft Commission on June 11, 1901, through the enactment of Act No. 136, which abolished th ...
' Second Division granted DOJ's April 4 petition for
change of venue A change of venue is the legal term for moving a trial (law), trial to a new location. In high-profile matters, a change of venue may occur to move a jury trial away from a location where a fair and impartial jury may not be possible due to wides ...
to avoid
miscarriage of justice A miscarriage of justice occurs when an unfair outcome occurs in a criminal or civil proceeding, such as the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. Miscarriages are also known as wrongful convictions. Innocent ...
. It ordered Davao City RTC Branch 12 Clerk of Court to deliver court case records to the Office of the Executive Judge of the RTC, QC RTC for raffle. On April 11, Pasig Regional Trial Court, Branch 159 Acting Presiding Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa issued a warrant of arrest against Quiboloy, Jackielyn Roy, Sylvia Cemañes, Cresente, Paulene, and Ingrid Canada for violations of Section 4 (a) of Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. Lawyer Israelito Torreon said “he still in the Philippine territory and they would file the
motion to quash A motion to quash is a request to a court or other tribunal to render a previous decision or proceeding null or invalid. The exact usage of motions to quash depends on the rules of the particular court or tribunal. In some cases, motions to qua ...
” forthwith. Marcos Jr. said that "Quiboloy’s surrender conditions were a tail-wagging-the-dog situation, but also assured Quiboloy that the government would “exercise all the compassion” to him.


Arrest

On June 10, 2024, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and about 100 police officers of the
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
- Special Action Force raided Quiboloy's properties to serve him an arrest warrant. The raided properties were the KOJC Dome at Buhangin District at 4 a.m., including Quiboloy's Glory Mountain and Prayer Mountain in Barabgat Tamayong and KJC compound in Lanang at 8 a.m. Quiboloy's counsel agreed to the third and latest service of three
arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a jud ...
s upon him and five accused. KJC members protested at the raid and expressed shock at the presence of "the police and military in full battle gear". However, Davao PR 11–PIO chief Major Catherine Dela Rey, in an
autopatch An autopatch, sometimes called a phone patch, is a feature of an amateur radio repeater, two-way radio, or base station to access an outgoing telephone Telecommunication circuit, connection. User (telecommunications), Users with a transceiver capa ...
explained that "Quiboloy and the other subjects were not found." The raiding forces destroyed the KOJC compound main gate, while two KOJC members were injured and five people carrying bolos were arrested. The raids were condemned by former President Duterte, who described the implementation of the arrest warrants as "excessive and unnecessary force" and "overkill". A resolution was later filed by Senator
Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Aziz, is a Filipino actor, film director, and politician serving as senator of the Philippines. He is known as the "Bad Boy" of Philippine cin ...
asking the Senate to probe the police's alleged use of "unnecessary and excessive force" during the raids. Police operations in the compound continued until September 8, 2024, when Quiboloy was apprehended in Davao City. The
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police (PNP; ) is the national police force of the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Currently, it has approximately 228,000 personnel to police a pop ...
later said that Quiboloy surrendered to the Intelligence Service of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...
following a 24-hour ultimatum issued by the PNP. Quiboloy was taken to Metro Manila and detained at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. On September 9, Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 106 ordered the transfer of Quiboloy and co-accused Cresente Canada to the Quezon City Jail, New Quezon City Jail in Payatas and announced that their arraignment and pre-trial conference would be held on September 19. However, he remains detained in Camp Crame, while his four co-accused were transferred to the Pasig City Jail. The Pasig Court granted Quiboloy's petition for a Prison furlough, medical furlough from November 8-16 at the Philippine Heart Center after suffering chest pain, arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation. The court extended the furlough until November 27 due to dental issues including an infection, infected dental implant which affected his jaw. On January 18, 2025, Quiboloy was hospitalized for pneumonia.


Complaints filed by Quiboloy and KJC members


Against Rappler, et al

In December 2021, Rappler published series of articles detailing accusations against Quiboloy including sexual abuse, trafficking and fraud. In connection with these, since January 2022, Kingdom of Jesus Christ officials filed a total of 53 counts of cyber libel against Rappler and its four journalists, and four resource persons including an Ateneo de Manila University professor and three former KJC members who turned as whistleblowers, before the City Prosecutor's offices in various cities in Mindanao, particularly in Cagayan de Oro (7 counts),
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
(28), General Santos (7), Ozamiz (7) and Panabo (4); all were dismissed for lack of probable cause with those filed in Davao City the last to be dismissed in May.


Against Manny Pacquiao

Then senator and presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao cited charges of sexual abuse against Quiboloy as his reason for turning down an invitation for a presidential debate that was organized by the latter in February 2022. This was the subject of a cyber libel complaint filed by Quiboloy against Pacquiao, which was dismissed by
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
prosecutors in September, stating the complainant's failure to present supporting evidence.


Social media bans

On June 21, 2023, the video-sharing platform YouTube terminated Quiboloy's channel due to an alleged community guidelines violation. This was later followed by similar bans on several other accounts owned and/or affiliated with Quiboloy, such as the SMNI News and Kingdom of Jesus Christ channels, which were also terminated on July 7. The termination of Quiboloy's channels occurred following a tweet made by Mutahar Anas, a popular gaming YouTuber known as SomeOrdinaryGamers, tagging YouTube's support account on Twitter and bringing attention to the FBI's arrest warrant for Quiboloy. Google, in their later statements, said that these actions were in compliance with existing sanctions by the United States against Quiboloy. Quiboloy, not being upset by the termination, said in an interview by his own media network that he is "bulletproof" from his detractors including US authorities whom he accused of "political and religious persecution". Quiboloy and SMNI later created accounts on the alt-tech video service Rumble (company), Rumble as well as an Sock puppet account, alternate account for SMNI on YouTube in defiance of the sanctions; the latter account was suspended by YouTube a few days later. Also in July, China-based video-sharing service TikTok – also complying with US sanctions – banned Quiboloy's account. On August 17, Quiboloy's accounts on Meta Platforms, Meta-owned social media platforms Facebook and Instagram were banned following a complaint from an anonymous source. Meta later clarified in a statement with ''Rappler'' that the ban was due to the "Dangerous Organizations and Individuals" policy as outlined in their terms of service, which also extends to third parties showing support or representation of Quiboloy and any organizations associated with him. On September 15, 2023, the SMNI News' Facebook page was deleted, in accordance to Meta's Dangerous Organizations and Individuals Policy; sockpuppet accounts representing SMNI are still in operation as of 2024, to which the Philippine National Police urged Facebook and YouTube to take down.


See also

* God complex * List of messiah claimants * List of people claimed to be Jesus * Grandiose delusions, Grandiose Delusions


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Quiboloy, Apollo 1950 births Living people 21st-century Filipino businesspeople Child sexual abuse scandals in Christianity Filipino Protestants Filipino anti-communists Filipino television evangelists People charged with sex trafficking Founders of new religious movements Fugitives wanted by the United States Fugitives wanted on fraud charges Fugitives wanted on sex crime charges Individuals sanctioned by the United States Department of State Kapampangan people Visayan people People from Davao City Dutertism People sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act Religious controversies in the Philippines Self-declared messiahs Fugitives wanted by the Philippines Child sexual abuse in the Philippines Politicians from Davao del Sur Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List