MANILA, Sept 13 (Askume) – Prominent Filipino pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who calls himself “God’s appointed son”, pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges on Friday, his lawyer said.
“He is innocent,” lawyer Israel Torreon told reporters after the trial in Manila. A preliminary hearing is set for October, Torreon said.
Queboloy is due to enter a plea in another court on Friday to a child abuse charge.
“We firmly believe that the truth regarding the alleged criminal conduct of Apollo C. Quiboloy and his co-defendants will eventually come to light,” Johanna Paula Domingo, co-counsel for the alleged victims, said in a statement released earlier in the morning’s hearing.
He said, “It is noteworthy that these cases were registered in 2019 and since then we have been demanding justice for the complainants.”
Queboloy and four other co-accused arrived in a police minibus about 45 minutes before the scheduled hearing. Handcuffed, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, ballistic helmet and vest, the preacher was nearly impossible to recognize.
Quiboloy faces multiple charges in the Philippines and the United States, including sex trafficking, money laundering and child abuse, after more than 2,000 security guards searched his 30-hectare (74-acre) church for a week on Sunday. Quiboloy was arrested
When reporters arrived at the courthouse and asked him what message he had for his followers, he said, “Tatag long, tatag long,” which is Filipino for “stay strong, stay strong.”
Millions have followed in Kipoloy’s footsteps in the Philippines , where church leaders wield considerable political influence. He is a longtime friend of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
