MANILA (UCAN): On October 8, detained Kingdom of Jesus cult leader, Apollo Quiboloy, an ally of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, and self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” filed his certificate for candidacy to run in the country’s 2025 mid-term senate elections.
The 74-year-old Quiboloy, who is wanted in the United States for sex trafficking children, is currently under detention in Manila and faces charges of child abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. One of his lawyers, Mark Christopher Tolentino, filed his candidacy paperwork.
“He wants to be a part of the solution to the problems of our country. He is running because of God and our beloved Philippines,” Tolentino claimed.
He told journalist that Quiboloy is pledging to promote laws that are “God-centred, Philippine-centred and Filipino-centred.”
In the Philippines, candidates are only disqualified from standing in senate elections if they have exhausted all appeals after being convicted of offenses involving “moral turpitude,” according to the election code which does not list specific crimes.
Quiboloy was charged by the United States in 2021 the trafficking of girls and women to work as personal assistants. They were allegedly required to have sex with him during what they said was their “night duty.” He is also wanted for bulk cash smuggling and a scheme that brought members of his cult to the US using fraudulently obtained visas.
They were then forced to solicit donations for a bogus charity, raising funds that were instead used to finance cult operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders, according to the FBI.
Twelve of the 24 senate seats are up for grabs in next year’s midterm polls along with more than 18,000 congressional and local government executive posts.
