How did a popular Philippine televangelist land on the FBI’s most-wanted list?

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — In his heyday, Apollo Carreon Quiboloy was one of the most influential religious leaders and televangelists in the Philippines. Proclaiming himself as the “appointed son of God,” he also was a political kingmaker who backed former President Rodrigo Duterte.

An expanded U.S. indictment in 2021 charged him with having sex with women and underage girls and sex trafficking by force, among other crimes. He’s facing similar criminal complaints in the Philippines, where he went into hiding this year.

Surrounded by heavily armed police, the 74-year-old preacher and four co-accused surrendered Sunday in his religious stronghold in the south. They were presented Monday to the press in orange detainee shirts and face covers with top officials warning on nationwide TV that “no one is above the law.”

Here’s what we know about Quiboloy:

How did Quiboloy gain so much influence and power?

According to most accounts, Quiboloy’s preaching started to gain attention in 1985, when he founded the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church, which would later claim to have 6 million mostly Filipino members in about 200 countries, including in the United States. Not much is known about how Quiboloy managed to raise the funds to build his empire, which included what many regarded as his real kingdom in Davao — a 30-hectare (75-acre) complex with a cathedral, a huge stadium and an aircraft hangar with a taxiway leading to Davao’s international airport. He founded a TV and radio network and religious charities in the Philippines and abroad that helped build his image as a popular televangelist.

According to the U.S. indictment, Quiboloy also maintained large residences in California, Las Vegas and Hawaii.

At the peak of his influence, aspirants would fly to Davao to seek his electoral endorsement. In the 2016 presidential elections, Quiboloy backed Duterte, his close friend whom he also served as a spiritual adviser. Duterte had appeared at times with Quiboloy on the religious leader’s TV and radio programs, where the then-president openly talked about his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs.

The killings of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects under Duterte’s administration have been condemned by Western governments and human rights groups and are being investigated by the International Criminal Court as a possible crime against humanity. Duterte has denied authorizing the killings but has openly threatened drug dealers with death.

Quiboloy has made outrageous claims that sparked questions about his character but endeared him to his fanatical followers. In 2019, he claimed that he stopped a major earthquake from hitting the southern Philippines.

What charges is Quiboloy facing?

U.S. federal prosecutors announced charges against Quiboloy in 2021 for allegedly having sex with women and underage girls who faced threats of abuse and “eternal damnation” unless they catered to the self-proclaimed “son of God.” The allegations were made by former followers of Quiboloy.

The expanded indictment contained an array of charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa fraud.

Quiboloy and eight other defendants were charged with “participating in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity … donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”

They were accused of “recruiting women and girls, typically 12 to 25 years old, as ‘pastorals,’ who cooked his meals, cleaned his houses, massaged him and traveled with him around the world. Some also had sex with Quiboloy on scheduled `night duty,’ including some minors such as a 15-year-old girl,” according to the indictment.

A federal warrant for Quiboloy’s arrest was issued in November 2021. He landed on the FBI’s most-wanted list, his face splashed on the agency’s posters of fugitives.

In the Philippines, Quiboloy has been charged with violating a law protecting children from abuse, exploitation and discrimination in one court and human trafficking in another, after a number of former followers filed complaints.

Quiboloy and his co-accused and their lawyers have denied any wrongdoing. They said they were ready to answer the charges in court. The raft of allegations, they said, was fabricated by critics and former members who were removed from his religious group.

Early this year, Quiboloy went into hiding after a Philippine court ordered the arrest of him and several others on suspicion of child and sexual abuse and human trafficking. The Philippine Senate separately ordered Quiboloy’s arrest for refusing to appear in public committee hearings that were looking into criminal allegations against him.

How was he caught and what happens next?

On Aug. 24, more than 2,000 police officers, backed by riot squads, raided his religious complex in Davao in a chaotic operation that saw with many of his followers staging noisy protests, complaining of an “overkill” and proclaiming his innocence. Duterte and his family criticized the massive raid, which included police equipment that could detect people hiding in underground tunnels.

The breakthrough in the search for him came on Sunday, when police gave a 24-hour ultimatum for Quiboloy to give himself up or else they would again raid a Bible school building, where the preacher was believed to hiding. Before nightfall, Quiboloy surrendered with four others and were flown to Manila, where they were locked up in a heavily secured detention center at the police headquarters.

“He could not bear to witness a second longer the sufferings that his flock was experiencing for many days,” his lawyer, Israelito Torreon, said of Quiboloy’s surrender.

Quiboloy and his co-accused were briefly presented to the press Monday but the televangelist, known for his long sermons, did not speak. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and national police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil warned that the influential preacher’s arrest showed that in the Philippines, “no one is above the law.”

The United States was expected to request the extradition of Quiboloy and his co-accused at some point but President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said they have to first face justice in the Philippines.

Quiboloy, Marcos said, would be treated like any other detainee and receive no special treatment.