QUIBOLOY FACES SENATORS FOR THE FIRST TIME: Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy faces senators for the first time during the public hearing of the committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality on Oct. 23, 2024. A Pasig City court granted the request of committee chairperson Sen. Risa Hontiveros to allow Quiboloy and his five-co-accused to attend the Senate hearing. The pastor is accused of committing human trafficking and child abuse. (Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Embattled Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy denied sexual abuse accusations hurled against him on Wednesday.
Quiboloy was granted a 鈥渞ight of reply鈥� during the Senate committee on women鈥檚 hearing headed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
She asked Quiboloy upfront in Filipino: 鈥淒id you sexually abuse the women and minors and did you use religion as a ploy to sexually abuse them?鈥�
Quiboloy denied this.
鈥淭here is no truth to what they are saying. If they have criminal charges against me, they are free to file charges and I will face them in a proper forum like the court just like what I鈥檓 doing right now,鈥� he said in Filipino.
Quiboloy attended the Senate hearing for the first time after being arrested last month for alleged child abuse and human trafficking.
READ: Quiboloy鈥檚 alleged victims bare real identities during Senate face-off
Quiboloy and four of his subordinates were arrested last Sept. 8 in the KJC compound and were detained in the PNP Custodial Center the same day.
Quiboloy has been detained in the PNP Custodial Center to date, while Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada, Cresente Canada, and Sylvia Cemanes have been detained in Pasig City Jail since Sept. 13.
One of the suspects, Paulene聽Canada, was the first to be arrested in a subdivision in Davao City last July and is also imprisoned in Pasig City Jail.