There were over 2000 Philippine National Police Officers who marched on the compound of an organization called Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) located in Davao City, Philippines, early Saturday morning. Police had a warrant, were clothed in riot gear, and carried firearms. The warrant was for the arrest of the organization's leader, Apollo Quiboloy, and four other members on charges of child abuse and human trafficking, according to ANC Digital.
Quiboloy and his followers deny the charges and KOJC's attorney questions whether the warrant is actually legal. The police have told KOJC that if they have an issue with the warrant or handling of the situation, they can file a complaint about it.
Quiboloy is wanted in the United States by the FBI for "alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders. Members who proved successful at soliciting for the church allegedly were forced to enter into sham marriages or obtain fraudulent student visas to continue soliciting in the United States year-round," according to FBI.gov.
There are also allegations that women were "recruited to work as personal assistants, or 'pastorals,' for Quiboloy and that victims prepared his meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages and were required to have sex with Quiboloy in what the pastorals called 'night duty,'" according to FBI.gov.
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is the designated administrator of KOJC's assets, which are presently frozen. He claims that police "forced their way" inside of the compound and also claims that KOJC members are "victims of political harassment, persecution, violence and abuse of authority," according to a statement released to Inquirer.net.
As of Monday, 18 members of KOJC were arrested for obstruction of justice after police broke up a gathering that was taking place on the compound grounds. KOJC is planning to file complaints against the police, according to GMA Integrated News.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Ezra Acayan/Stringer
Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.