Lawyer defending Quiboloy confident amid US sex trafficking case

MANILA, Philippines — The legal counsel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KJC) expressed confidence in the defense its founding leader, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who has been indicted for sex trafficking charges by prosecutors in the United States.

“We are confident and ready to face whatever is hurled against Pastor Quiboloy and the Kingdom leaders. We trust the process of justice and we certainly expect the truth to prevail, and the Kingdom ministry will continue to prosper,” the “KJC Legal Counsel,” who was not named, said in a statement.

Days earlier, US prosecutors announced the filing of sex trafficking charges against Quiboloy, “international administrator” Teresita Dandan who is the top overseer of KJC’s operations in the US, and sect leader Felina Salinas.

The KJC said they will remain steadfast and committed to respond to its mission despite “another vicious attempt to bring down” Quiboloy and two of its top officials.?“With the growing ministry and followers of the Kingdom comes also the growing opposition who are trying their best to destroy it and all the Kingdom leaders. While jealousy and evil will never stop, we strongly believe that good always triumphs over evil,” the KJC said.?The religious group, now with churches around the world, started in 1985 with only 15 members.

The KJC believes that the people who hurled accusations against Quiboloy in California are the same people trying to drag Quiboloy into the case in Hawaii, where its leader Salinas was charged with currency smuggling.

The US District Court of Hawaii dismissed the case against Salinas and reduced her sentence to about a month’s detention and a small fine for allegedly lying about a suitcase with hidden cash found in Quiboloy’s plane flying back to the Philippines in 2018.

In a related development, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters in a Viber message that the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) will perform its mandate under the law, regardless of the persons involved in the case.

“We have an existing extradition treaty with the US. We also have an existing agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters with that country,” Guevarra said when asked if they received an extradition request from their US counterpart.

He said that in the event their US counterpart requests for Quiboloy’s extradition, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would step in.