Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his four co-accused followers pleaded “not guilty” at their arraignment before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Friday for their qualified human trafficking case.

Quiboloy’s legal counsel, Israelito Torreon, said his client maintained his claim of innocence. “He did nothing wrong,” he asserted.

Quiboloy is facing charges of qualified human trafficking, a non-bailable offense, before Pasig RTC Branch 159. His co-accused are Cresente Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada, and Sylvia Cemañes.

The case stemmed from the complaint of a former member of the religious group who alleged that she was recruited as a minor and lived in the KoJC compound. She said she was made to beg for money and sell merchandise to raise funds for the group. She also alleged that Quiboloy sexually abused her.

Quiboloy, who is also wanted in the United States for human trafficking and other offenses, was arrested last Sunday, ending weeks of police operations at the KoJC compound in Davao City.

Quiboloy was charged by the US Justice Department in 2021 with sex trafficking of girls and women aged 12 to 25 who were allegedly forced to work as personal assistants and required to engage in sexual acts with him.

He is also facing charges under the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

The case, which was initially filed in Davao, was transferred to Quezon City at the request of the Department of Justice.

Torreon declined to comment, noting that the case was already with the court.

“Wala kaming statement kasi ang kaso nasa korte na (We don’t have a statement because the case is already with the court),” he told reporters.

The Philippine National Police brought Quiboloy and his co-accused to the Pasig RTC Branch 159 for their first arraignment on qualified trafficking charges. The next hearing of their cases is scheduled in October.

Quiboloy and the four other KoJC members are currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

No to transfer

Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense on Friday filed another comment-opposition to the motion of Quiboloy and his co-accused to be transferred to the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The DND’s Legal and Legislative Affairs chief, Assistant Secretary Erik Lawrence Dy, reiterated that Quiboloy and his co-accused must remain in the custody of the law enforcement agencies.

Dy filed the DND’s first “comment opposition” to Quiboloy’s motion on 10 September at the Pasig RTC.

In an interview, Dy explained that the allegations against Quiboloy and his co-accused were heinous crimes and should be heard by civil courts.

He said that detaining criminal suspects was not covered by the AFP’s General Courts Martial.

“Again, we are just looking at the legality of whether the transfer of his custody to the AFP is possible, but it’s up to the court to decide,” he added.

Citing security concerns and his health condition as grounds for a transfer, Quiboloy’s camp earlier filed a petition to place the embattled religious leader and his co-accused under house arrest or in the custody of the AFP.

So far, no court has granted Quiboloy’s motion for either house arrest or a transfer to AFP custody.

Quiboloy seeks Davao hospital detention

Quiboloy had also asked to be transferred to a Davao hospital for the duration of his trial.

Lawyers for Quiboloy and co-accused Ingrid Canada made the motion before the Pasig RTC yesterday, seeking their transfer to the Veterans Memorial Center in Davao because of their medical conditions, adding that they were having a difficult time at the custodial facility.

The prosecution objected, and the judge required the PNP to have them examined by government doctors.

The prosecutors said detaining Quiboloy at the Davao hospital would defeat the purpose for transferring his cases to Metro Manila from Davao City.

If Quiboloy has a health condition that needs close monitoring, the PNP General Hospital is a few meters from the custodial center and it could provide him the necessary medical attention, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said.

Fajardo said Quiboloy was regularly being checked by his personal physician aside from his spiritual advisor at the custodial center.

“And the custodial center has a dedicated nurse who oversees, not only him, but all the detainees. So they have regular checkups, particularly those with existing medical conditions,” she said.

Trial schedule set

Fajardo said the Quezon City judge scheduled the pre-conference and pre-markings of evidence on 25 September, to be followed by the pre-trial proper on 17 October.

The Pasig RTC also ordered the transfer of co-accused Ingrid Canada, Cresente Canada, Jackielyn Roy, and Sylvia Cemañes to the Pasig City jail from the PNP custodial center.

The five KoJC members attended the arraignment at the Quezon City RTC via video conference from the PNP custodial center.