MANILA, Philippines — Teresita Valdehueza was only 17 years old when she saw the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) as a way to serve God back in 1980. Under the guidance of Davao-based pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Valdehueza felt she had reached a profound, spiritual awakening.
Some 44 years later, Valdehueza now sits at a Senate hearing during a stormy day, unraveling the years of abuse she reportedly endured at the hands of the pastor.
Related Stories
In 1980, a 17-year old Valdehueza joined the KOJC, where she eagerly served a fledgling ministry with eagerness. Eight years later, she decided she would dedicate her life to it.
“This choice meant leaving behind my family, my career, and the person I once was. Despite the resistance of family and friends, I pursued my conviction. I joined a pioneering group that struggled to meet basic needs, but my desire to serve God fueled my persistence,” Valdehueza said at the Senate inquiry on Wednesday, October 23.
Valdehueza said she felt forgiven, believing that she was working alongside a man appointed by God.
Abuse
All of that changed when Quiboloy had a “divine revelation” that summoned Valdehueza to him. Quiboloy instructed Valdehueza to travel from Manila to Cebu, where he was scheduled to preach.
Valdehueza was instructed to stay in the hotel room of Quiboloy, who told her that she should sleep next to him. After all, they were compatible because they were wearing the same color at the time: red.
“Sleeping beside a man I believed to be chosen by God was for me then a great privilege and opportunity for a sinner like me. But what followed shattered my sense of faith and trust. Without a word, after turning off the light, he embraced me, undressed me, and violated me with his lustful act that left me in shock and speechless. He then said, ‘This is the fulfillment of God's revelation’,” Valdehueza said.
Quiboloy told Valdehueza that she will be part of God’s life by surrendering her body and soul.
“Confusion consumed me. I felt betrayed—by my faith, by him, and even perhaps by myself. I began questioning whether what had happened was indeed God's will or simply a gross abuse of power,” she said.
Valdehueza wanted to leave the KOJC, but she was isolated. She burned all her bridges, leaving her family and friends behind. Besides, her family was poor and without resources.
The nagging thought did not leave her: What if it was the will of God?
On February 15, 1998, Valdehueza said she was “used” by Quiboloy again. The next day, Valdehueza’s pent-up emotions caught up to her, and she collapsed while making church preparations.
Quiboloy was the one to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
“I learned he told others that it was just a way for me to seduce him, labeling me as Jezebel, the temptress,” she said.
Double life
Valdehueza then became a part of the KOJC’s inner circle. Against her better judgment, she was privy to certain secrets and projects. She was promoted to several high positions, including national crusade coordinator, national logistics coordinator, and Luzon area administrator.
Charged with organizing Christmas caroling runs, Valdehueza had a hefty quota of P15 million every December. She witnessed how much work KOJC members would pour in order to raise money for the church.
KOJC members would sacrifice the money they were going to use to buy rice so that they could give cash to the church. Members were instructed to live a simple life,
To Valdehueza’s surprise, all of that money appeared to be going elsewhere.
When Valdehueza and other members of Quiboloy’s inner circle flew to the United States, all teachings of simplicity went out the window.
“What were prohibited in the Philippines, we did it there. We lived in luxury. We toured around, we dined in fine and expensive restaurants, we watched movies. Sky's the limit when they went shopping,” Valdehueza said.
The growing dissonance between her work and her faith and what she was experiencing drove to be more and more distant.
Fasting
This distance did not go unnoticed by Quiboloy and his cohorts.
All of the sudden, Valdehueza was facing allegations of fornicating with ministers.
“I was then forced to write a long letter of confession, making it appear that I was a sinner who committed all kinds of sins, including those I had committed before joining the ministry. I complied, believing that through this written confession, I would be totally forgiven from my old sins and burdens, and be completely sanctified,” Valdehueza said.
However, she was forced to revise her story, making sure that Quiboloy was not implicated in any way. She was forced to make herself out to be the sole sinner.
“My exaggerated story was then distributed to all his leaders and ministers and they believed I was that filthy, I was pervert and I was wicked, painting me as the sole guilty party while [Apollo Quiboloy] remained innocent,” Valdehueza said.
The false confession would seemingly doom her.
Valdehueza was punished with seven months of "prayer and fasting," which is a form of Spiritual Discipline.
She was put in a small, dark room in the mountains of Tamayong, Calinan, Davao City. Her bed made of "uneven slabs, with exposed nails." Her meals were few and far in between. Valdehueza said she often bathed, as it was the only time she would get more water.
“I was labeled filthy and deserving of this punishment. Members were forbidden to speak to me. I was physically very weak and so depressed. I prayed that God would just take my life,” Valdehueza said.
Leaving the KOJC
Valdehueza twice tried to leave the KOJC, but they rejected her resignation letter on both occasions.
In 1999, she finally decided to leave the KOJC without permission.
However, Quiboloy and the KOJC were not done with Valdehueza.
Quiboloy’s personal bodyguard Alex Camia, a KOJC worker, allegedly harassed Valdehueza with a fake warrant of arrest.
“The team of Alex Camia was apprehended and when investigated, they had several firearms in the car, several plate numbers and there was also a red plate. The registered owner of the car was Apollo C. Quiboloy,” Valdehueza said.
Valdehueza said that Camia asked her for forgiveness three years ago, as he was only following orders.
The harassment did not end there, as Quiboloy would publicly hurl accusations against Camia.
“Apollo Quiboloy called me Jezebel, the temptress, using his pulpit to broadcast how filthy and evil I was. This became a pattern that if there were workers who knew his secret life and wanted to leave his kingdom,” Valdehueza said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Quiboloy, the spiritual advisor of former president Rodrigo Duterte, now faces several counts of child abuse and human trafficking. He is also wanted in the United States for sex trafficking and cash smuggling. The pastor has evaded Philippine authorities for the better part of 2024, but was detained by police in September.