MANILA (Reuters) – Police in the Philippines said on Wednesday more people had come forward alleging sexual abuse by celebrity pastor Apollo Quiboloy, pointing to what they called an alarming pattern of crimes by the wealthy, self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God”.
Quiboloy, who is facing a raft of charges in the Philippines and the United States including sex trafficking, money laundering and child abuse, was arrested on Sunday after a weeks-long search of his church’s sprawling 30-hectare (74-acre) compound by more than 2,000 security personnel.
Quiboloy for years cultivated an image as a charismatic spiritual leader with divine powers, earning him millions of followers, a lavish lifestyle and powerful friends in the country’s political elite.
“These courageous victims have spoken up, revealing their harrowing experiences. The abuse they endured shows an alarming pattern of manipulation and exploitation,” Philippine police chief General Francisco Marbil said in a statement.
Those included girls as young as 12 and were part of a group of what police called “inner-circle pastorals” who have been crucial in uncovering the full extent of Quiboloy’s alleged crimes, Marbil added.
The statement did not say how many people had come forward.
The pastor has denied wrongdoing and his lawyers, Ferdinand Topacio and Israelito Torreon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Quiboloy also figures on the most wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States, where he was charged with running a sex-trafficking operation that threatened young victims with “eternal damnation” and physical abuse, among other crimes.
Marbil said police were verifying information provided by an undisclosed number of victims to bolster the cases against Quiboloy, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church in Davao City.
Quiboloy is a longtime friend of Rodrigo Duterte, who was Philippines’ president until two years ago and frequently appeared on the pastor’s television shows. Duterte has criticised recent police operations to apprehend Quiboloy.
Marbil urged victims who were suffering in silence to come forward and assured them protection.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We will leave no stone unturned in this pursuit of justice.”
The justice ministry this week acknowledged its extradition treaty with the United States but said Quiboloy must first face trial and serve any sentence in the Philippines before any extradition request is granted.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)
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