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The preacher and alleged trafficker will remain under police custody inside Camp Crame
MANILA, Philippines – The Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch handling preacher and alleged trafficker Apollo Quiboloy‘s trafficking case has denied his request for hospital arrest, his lawyer said on Thursday, October 17.
Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, told reporters that the Pasig City RTC Branch 159 rejected the petition to move Quiboloy from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City to a hospital, according to a video posted by DZXL-Radio Mindanao Network.
Torreon said they plan to appeal the decision, arguing that the 74-year-old preacher, who is facing a non-bailable qualified trafficking charge, needs house or hospital arrest.
“Ipinapakita lang ng ating mga korte na walang special treatment pagdating sa kaso ni Quiboloy. Hindi dapat paunlakan ang isang akusado sa mga krimeng human trafficking, rape, child abuse, at marami pang iba,” Senator Risa Hontiveros, who led the Senate probe into Quiboloy’s activities, said in a statement. “Inaasahan ko na hindi rin papayagan ng korte ang hiling nilang huwag dumalo sa Senate hearing next week.”
(This shows that our courts don’t extend special treatment to Quiboloy. Special treatment should not be afforded a person accused of human trafficking, rape, child abuse, and others. I also expect that the court will not grant Quiboloy’s request to allow him skip the Senate hearing next week.)
Quiboloy faces separate charges of sexual abuse of a minor and child abuse in a Quezon City court. The founder of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), Quiboloy is a close ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte and recently filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2025 Senate race.
On top of this, Quiboloy is also wanted in the United States for sexual trafficking.
The Quezon City court earlier issued a commitment order to transfer Quiboloy to the Quezon City Jail in Payatas; in fact, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology prepared for his supposed transfer in September. However, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said in September that Quiboloy will remain under the PNP custody because of the commitment order issued by the Pasig City court.
Quiboloy has been under PNP custody since September 8, after weeks of protracted police operations at the KOJC compound in Davao City.
His arrest was months in the making, marked by a two-week standoff between the police and Quiboloy’s supporters. Right after the preacher’s arrest, Torreon announced that they would file a motion to allow Quiboloy to be under house arrest or under the military’s custody.
The military, however, was quick to oppose the preacher’s request for custody, arguing that it is “not the proper agency to have custody of suspects in criminal cases.”
Meanwhile, the PNP filed sedition and inciting to sedition complaints on Friday against Torreon and others over their alleged involvement in the delay of Quiboloy’s arrest. – Rappler.com
