Philippine pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the head of a mega-church with millions of followers, pleaded not guilty on Friday ( Sep 13 ) to a charge of sex trafficking.
Last month, more than 2, 000 police officers were deployed to assault 74-year-old Quiboloy – a gentleman who proclaimed himself the “owner of the world” and the “appointed son of god”.
In both the Philippines and the United States, the famous priest is facing numerous legal fees.
WHO IS APOLLO QUIBOLOY?
A mega-church head and global missionary, Quiboloy is a Filipino priest who is accused of child abuse and sexual trafficking, among other offences.
His church ,- Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Brand Above Every Brand- has garnered a following of more than 7 million globe.  ,
The priest is renowned for his close connection with Rodrigo Duterte, the president’s original partner. He was Duterte’s moral director while he was in business.
In Davao City, Quiboloy established the chapel in September 1985. According to his social media accounts,  , it started with a handful of people at the Davao Y Gym.  ,
It grew fast and then claims to have communities in North America, South and Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
The temple is housed in a 30ha element in Davao, which is roughly the size of 43 football fields, with a bunker Quiboloy allegedly hidden in while authorities searched for him.
The 75-year-old even founded Filipino presenter Sonshine Media Network International.  ,
After the platform’s regulators opened an investigation into it for breaches like disseminating fake information, he has since distanced himself from it, according to Spanish media shop GMA News.  ,
He claimed to have stopped a quake that erupted in North Cotabato and local counties in 2019.
In 2021, he warned people to stop “persecuting, prosecuting and maligning” him or experience more from the COVID-19 crisis, reported GMA.