Apollo Quiboloy: Stand off as police close in on ‘Son of God’ pastor

In the Philippines, a stalemate has broken out as hundreds of police officers search a spacious spiritual complex in search of a powerful priest who has been accused of child sex trafficking among other offences.

Police say they wo n’t leave until they discover Apollo Quiboloy, who calls himself the “appointed Son of God.”

He is believed to be hiding inside his 30 hectare ( 75 acres ) complex, which houses some 40 buildings, including a cathedral, a school and even a hangar.

For decades, officials have searched for Quiboloy. He had previously stated that he would” never get caught alive.”

According to reports, police raided the Kingdom of Jesus Christ ( KOJC) compound late on Saturday, and later used tear gas against Mr. Quiboloy’s followers, according to Davao police spokesperson Major Catherina dela Rey, according to Rappler.

In an effort to obstruct traffic to the mixture, lots of Mr. Quiboloy’s supporters have blocked components of a major highway.

They maintain his innocence, saying complaints against him are fabricated.

During the officers assault, a member of the group’s support died from a heart attack.

According to Maj dela Rey, police believe Mr. Quiboloy is hiding in an underground vault based on technology that is thought to be able to find people behind walls based on their beat.

Mr Quiboloy’s KOJC claims to have seven million followers and he has grown his government through television, stereo and social media.

He is also a political force and serves as Rodrigo Duterte’s spiritual advisor, whose family controls Davao capital politics.

Officials have been pursuing claims against Mr. Quiboloy since Mr. Duterte stepped down in 2022.

He is accused of recruiting followers in the US to get money for fictitious nonprofits. He also allegedly required his feminine followers, some young, to have intercourse with him as a spiritual work.

He has said that the “devil” was behind his legal difficulties. Additionally, he has stated that he does n’t want the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to “meddle” in his case.

Mr Quiboloy said in April that he was “preserving” himself by hiding from government.

” I am not hiding from the accusations because I am innocent. That’s not accurate. I am only protecting myself”, he said.

The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, a Christian religion that claims to have seven million people, is led by Mr. Quiboloy.

He claims that while attending an occasion by American priest Billy Graham in South Korea in 1973, God whispered,” I may employ you.” In 1985, he established the KOJC in Davao, in the Philippines.

A glass stand with huge images of Mr. Quiboloy’s beautiful hill house, the” Garden of Eden Restored,” serves as the backdrop for his sermons.

He has been seen flying in his private jet when he is n’t in Davao.

His fall to national fame has been mirrored by Mr. Duterte’s. The previous president became mayor of Davao when the two began.

When Mr Duterte was elected leader in 2016, Mr Quiboloy’s page rose even higher. However, as Mr. Duterte left in 2022, that began to diminish.

Outside of his partnership with Mr. Duterte, Mr. Quiboloy has furthermore gained a lot of influence by backing officials in elections.

Mr Quiboloy was a supporter of one of Duterte’s successors, Gloria Arroyo.

When he endorsed Arroyo’s selection of son in the 2010 votes, Mr Quiboloy claimed to have seen the president’s name in a perspective that included therefore US President Barack Obama.

According to researchers, rulers of religious organizations and sects in the Philippines gain political power when they instruct their adherents to cast a union.

Some candidates believe the support of leaders like Mr. Quiboloy may decide the outcome of their election campaign because it can get so competitive.

Political activism in the Philippines is largely a spiritual practice. Thus, voters look to their spiritual officials for guidance”, political scientist Cleve Arguelles told BBC News.

In 2021, the US Department of Justice ( DOJ) charged Mr Quiboloy with sex trafficking of children, fraud and coercion and bulk cash smuggling.

The FBI claimed that he had trafficked girls and women from the Philippines to the US, forcing them to pay for a fictitious donation.

He likewise required his female individual helpers, who are called “pastorals”, to have intercourse with him, the FBI said.

In January 2022, the FBI released a wanted banner seeking information on Mr Quiboloy’s locations.

The Philippines DOJ filed individual trafficking and sexual abuse charges against Mr. Quiboloy last March for supposedly abusing a young girl in 2011.

His arrest permits have been issued in both the US and Philippine.

Mr. Quiboloy has accused US officials of pre-judging his situation and denied the charges against him.