Philippine pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the head of a mega-church with millions of followers, pleaded not guilty on Friday (Sep 13) to a charge of sex trafficking.
Last month, more than 2,000 police officers were deployed to arrest 74-year-old Quiboloy – a man who proclaimed himself the “owner of the universe” and the “appointed son of god”.
The celebrity pastor faces a raft of criminal charges in the Philippines and the United States.
WHO IS APOLLO QUIBOLOY?
A mega-church leader and international evangelist, Quiboloy is a Filipino pastor who is accused of child abuse and sex trafficking, among other crimes.
His church – Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name – has garnered a following of more than 7 million worldwide.
The pastor is known for his friendship with former president Rodrigo Duterte. He was Duterte’s spiritual adviser while he was in office.
Quiboloy founded the church in September 1985 in Davao City. According to his social media accounts, it started with a handful of members at the Davao Y Gym.
It grew quickly and now claims to have congregations in North America, South and Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
The church is housed in a 30ha compound – about the size of 43 football fields – in Davao, with a bunker that Quiboloy had reportedly hidden in while authorities were looking for him.
The 75-year-old also founded Filipino broadcaster Sonshine Media Network International.
He has since distanced himself from the platform after authorities launched an investigation into it for violations such as disseminating false information, reported Philippine media outlet GMA News.
He claimed in 2019 to have stopped an earthquake that rocked North Cotabato and nearby provinces.
In 2021, he warned people to stop “persecuting, prosecuting and maligning” him or suffer more from the COVID-19 pandemic, reported GMA.
