A PASIG court has denied the petitions for bail of detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder and leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his five co-accused in the qualified human trafficking for sexual abuse and labor exploitation case.
In a decision dated July 20, the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159 turned down the petition separately filed by Quiboloy and his co-accused Sylvia Cemañes, Paulene Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, and Ingrid Canada, all former officials of the KOJC.
The court noted that the prosecution has sufficiently shown strong evidence of guilt against all the accused on the two crimes of qualified human trafficking committed by a syndicate.
It clarified, however, that the decision will not in any way be prejudicial to the outcome of the case.
“The court is merely tasked with resolving the Petitions for Bail filed by all the accused, and not with rendering a judgment on the merits of the case. There remains a long process ahead, and both parties have the opportunity to present further evidence,” the order stated.
The charges were filed against Quiboloy and his co-accused by several former members of KOJC who claimed experiencing abuse in the hands of the sect leader.
Quiboloy was arrested on September 8, 2024, after over two weeks of manhunt inside the KOJC compound in Davao City. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)