Quiboloy again sued for human trafficking

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Televangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and 4 others were ordered by the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, December 20, to answer the complaint filed by a 22-year-old woman for qualified human trafficking.

In a complaint lodged early this week, Blenda Sanchez Portugal accused Quiboloy of sexual abuse and forced labor.

In her affidavit, Portugal said she was introduced to Quiboloy by her father, who was a member of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ, when she was just 10 years old.

She said she and her sister’s ordeal started in 2009 when she was 12.

“My sister and I did not fully comprehend their implications and meanings that father’s will for PACQ (Quiboloy) is to let myself to be exploited both in forms of sexual and forced labor,” Portugal said.

She also said that a certain Ingrid Canada and several other members of the church told her and her sister to follow Quiboloy, as he is the “Almighty Father,” and the actions demanded of her were the “Father’s will.”

Davao City Prosecutor Shahruddin Roberto Sencio Jr ordered Quiboloy, Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Pauline Canada, Ingrid Ca­nada, and Sylvia Cemañes to answer the complaint within 10 days.

Israelito Torreon, Quiboloy’s lawyer, said in an interview with TV5 here that the charges were baseless. Moreover, Torreon said the complainant left Quiboloy’s group in 2016 after being subjected to disciplinary action for violating rules.

“Please wait for our defense because we will show that this is part of [a] grand conspiracy to pin down [Quiboloy]. We will show you that this is not true,” Torreon said.

This is not the first time that the self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” was implicated in human trafficking charges.

In October 2018, a former follower also accused Quiboloy of running a “child sex ring.”

Torreon also denied the allegation as “a pack of lies.” – Rappler.com