Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos insisted that fugitive religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is still inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound, citing an intelligence report on Saturday.
“Our intelligence report says he's still there,” Abalos said in a news forum in Quezon City.
He likewise noted that authorities have been receiving promising developments about Quiboloy’s whereabouts.
“We’ve got good developments right now I just can’t disclose it; I’ve been receiving these reports since yesterday,” Abalos said but declined to disclose other details.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, said the government has “no information yet” that Quiboloy went through any immigration process.
“So we assume he is still here in the country,” Clavano said, noting that there’s an outstanding hold departure order against Quiboloy.
A hold departure order is issued to individuals with criminal cases within the exclusive jurisdiction of Regional Trial Courts.
The Philippine National Police earlier said it has acquired “valuable information” indicating that Quiboloy is hiding inside the underground facility of the KOJC compound.
Abalos stated that law enforcement authorities will continue their efforts to locate Quiboloy and his four other cohorts.
In 2021, Quiboloy and nine other members of the KOJC sect were indicted in the United States (US) for sex trafficking, placing him on the most wanted list of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In April this year, a Pasig City court ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking.
Quiboloy also has an existing arrest warrant for a child and sexual abuse complaint issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court.