(File photo)
MANILA – Malacañang assured Friday that the Philippines will cooperate with the United States (US) following the indictment of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Philippine-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), for sex trafficking charges.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles gave the assurance in an online press conference, as he emphasized that the Philippine government has been "very constant" in its efforts against sex trafficking.
"While I can say na (that) these are all speculative, ang bansang Pilipinas naman po ay laging nagko-cooperate ‘no pagdating sa (The Philippines always cooperates when it comes to extradition or processes of extradition. So, we will cooperate if magkaroon man ng ganiyan (there would be such request)," Nograles said, when asked if the Philippine government would cooperate with the US, in case it requests for Quiboloy's extradition.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted Quiboloy for allegedly coercing girls and young women to have sex with him under threat of "eternal damnation".
The new indictment, which was released on Thursday, charged Quiboloy and two other top church officials – Teresita Dandan and Felina Salina – with participating in a conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, as well as the sex trafficking of children.
The defendants allegedly recruited females aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants or "pastorals" for Quiboloy.
The victims prepared Quiboloy's meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages, and were allegedly required to have sex with him in what the pastorals called the "night duty," the US DOJ said.
Three of five female victims were minors when the alleged sex trafficking began.
"Defendant Quiboloy and other KOJC administrators coerced pastorals into performing 'night duty' – that is, sex – with defendant Quiboloy under the threat of physical and verbal abuse and eternal damnation by defendant Quiboloy and other KOJC administrators," the indictment alleged.
Quiboloy is a friend and spiritual adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte.
It is up to Duterte if he will keep Quiboloy as his spiritual adviser, Nograles said.
"Again, we’ll wait for the President’s statement regarding that ‘no kasi bago pa lang itong development na ito (because this is just a new development). Hayaan na lang po natin na magsalita si Pangulo tungkol po diyan (Let the President make a statement on that issue)," he said.
Nograles added that Quiboloy, as a private individual, is "capable of getting the proper legal advice". (PNA)
