Controversial televangelist Apollo Quiboloy is still in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City, according to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos.
“Ang intel report namin ay andoon pa siya,” Abalos said at a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday.
(Our intelligence report says he’s still there.)
The Philippine National Police also believes Quiboloy is still inside the KOJC, but KOJC legal counsel Israelito Torreon has maintained that the spiritual leader is not there.
Abalos said authorities “got good developments right now” in relation to the search for Quiboloy.
The DILG chief, however, declined to divulge details.
For his part, Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano said, “There is no information yet that he (Quiboloy) had gone through any immigration process, so we assume he is still here in the country.”
Clavano said there is an outstanding hold departure order against the KOJC leader.
“Given that… he is supposedly not allowed to leave because of this hold departure order,” the DOJ official said.
Arrest warrants were issued against Quiboloy and several others for alleged violations of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act as well as qualified human trafficking.
Quiboloy went into hiding shortly after the Senate issued an arrest order against him for refusing to attend the chamber’s hearings.
He has also been indicted by a federal grand jury in the US District Court for the Central District of California for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.
Quiboloy’s camp has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.
