A United States judge set a new date for the trial of Kingdom of Jesus Christ church founder Apollo Quiboloy and several others for charges of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, coercion, and sex trafficking of children; marriage fraud; fraud and misuse of visas; bulk cash smuggling; and money laundering, among others.
US district judge Terry Hatter Jr. moved the start of the trial from March 19, 2024 to Nov. 5, 2024 to give prosecutors and defendants more time to prepare for the case.
“The case is so unusual and so complex, due to the nature of the prosecution and the number of defendants, that it is unreasonable to expect preparation for pretrial proceedings or for the trial itself within the time limits established by the Speedy Trial Act,” the US District Court for the Central District of California said.
“Failure to grant the continuance would likely make a continuation of the proceeding impossible or result in a miscarriage of justice,” the court added.
Both the US prosecutors and defendants Felina Salinas, Gaia Cabactulan, Marissa Duenas, Amanda Estopare and Bettina Padilla Roces requested for a continuance.
The court ordered the defendants to appear in Courtroom 9B of the Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 5, 2024. Quiboloy and his associates, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag, both officials of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, remained on the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Quiboloy’s camp has dismissed the charges as “grandstanding by the US government.”
The indictment alleged that Quiboloy and the two other defendants recruited female assistants or “pastorals” aged 12 to 25 years old.
It said they were required to prepare Quiboloy’s meals, give him massages and have sex with him during what they called “night duty.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called on the Department of Justice to issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against Quiboloy as she vowed to look into his alleged money laundering activities.
Hontiveros said the DOJ can do this motu proprio to prevent Quiboloy, the spiritual advisor of former President Rodrigo Duterte, from leaving the country.
“Our children’s lives are at stake,” said Hontiveros, who filed on Monday a proposed Senate resolution to investigate Quiboloy, who declared himself as the “anointed son of God.” With Rey Requejo and Maricel Cruz
Hontiveros said Quiboloy should be investigated for large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse. Senator Robin Padilla, however, on Thursday said he is against the investigation, saying this is a “case of Americans.”
“That’s a case pursued by the Americans. Is that like the ICC probe? Are we going to follow what the foreigners want?” Padilla said.
Padilla, however, said witnesses making allegations of child abuse and sexual abuse should also be investigated.
“We need to investigate the witnesses if they are really telling the truth. In the Senate, there are witnesses who are lying. It is hard to believe the accounts of the resource persons in the Senate. They will make a claim today then they will retract their statement tomorrow,” he said.
Responding to the allegations, Quiboloy’s legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio dared Hontiveros to file cases and bring these to the proper courts.
“What Senator Risa Hontiveros is doing is deception because she wants to investigate these allegations of human trafficking supposedly committed by Pastor Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ even though these matters should not be investigated in the Senate,” Topacio said.
At the The House of Representatives, the committee on legislative franchises is set to invite Quiboloy to its inquiry on Sonshine Media Network International’s alleged franchise violations, noting that the pastor is the “ultimate beneficial owner” of SMNI.
Committee chairman Gustavo Tambunting said Quiboloy turned down an invitation to appear in the last House hearing because he was sick and “because he is not an officer of SMNI.”
“The position of the committee is that you’re (Quiboloy) the ultimate beneficial owner (of SMNI). Therefore you should also be called,” Tambunting said in a radio interview.
Mark Tolentino, legal counsel and officer of SMNI, earlier told lawmakers that Swara Sug Media Corporation of the Philippines, also known as SMNI, is not owned by the Davao-based religious group leader.
“He’s not part of the corporate officers. He’s just a blocktimer for SMNI. We consider him as an honorary chairman but he’s not part of the corporate officers, his name is not part of the corporate papers. He’s not a stockholder of SMNI or Swara Sug Media Corporation,” Tolentino said. With Rey Requejo and Maricel Cruz