In United States plea deals, KOJC members admit marriage fraud

MANILA, Philippines — Two more co-accused of detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy have reportedly entered into a plea agreement in the United States.

Guia Cabactulan and Amanda Estopare have agreed to enter guilty pleas to a lesser charge relating to marriage fraud, according to GMA News.

The two, along with Quiboloy and six others, were indicted in the US for allegedly orchestrating a sex and labor trafficking operation.

Cabactulan was identified as the lead KOJC administrator in the US, while Estopare was allegedly in charge of tracking and reporting the money raised in the US to KOJC officials in the Philippines.

Under the 17-page plea agreement, Cabactulan and Estopare could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The court is scheduled to discuss the plea agreement next week, where a date for sentencing may be set for them.

The two were arrested in 2020, along with co-accused Marissa Duenas, who also entered into a plea agreement with the US earlier this month.

Based on their original indictment, Cabactulan, Estopare and Duenas were accused of overseeing a labor trafficking scheme “that forced church members to solicit donations for a bogus charity after the defendants illegally obtained visas and other immigration documents that allowed the workers to enter and remain in the United States.”

It also alleged a conspiracy to commit a series of offenses, such as trafficking with respect to forced labor, document servitude, immigration fraud and marriage fraud.

In 2021, a US federal grand jury expanded the indictment to include six new defendants, including Quiboloy.

It alleged the existence of a sex trafficking scheme that “that coerced girls and young women to have sex with the church’s leader under threats of ‘eternal damnation.’”

Three more suspects – Felina Salinas, Bettina Roces and Maria de Leon – were arrested following the release of the superseding indictment.

Quiboloy and two others believed to be in the Philippines, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag, remained at large and were included in the most wanted list of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2022.

Quiboloy is currently detained in the Philippines over separate charges of qualified human trafficking and child and sexual abuse.

The US government has yet to request extradition of the detained pastor, based on latest information from Philippine authorities.

The Department of Justice guaranteed that the criminal charges against Quiboloy in Philippine courts remain unstirred by the plea bargain agreement with US prosecutors.

Quiboloy is facing child abuse charges in a Quezon City court, as well as qualified human trafficking charges in Pasig City.