MANILA 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua on Wednesday raised the possibility that detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy and his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) sect could be liable for syndicated estafa, citing allegations that donations solicited abroad for charity were allegedly diverted to finance a lavish lifestyle.
The discussion arose during the House Committee on Justice’s motu proprio inquiry into the country’s nearly five-decade-old extradition law.
Committee chair Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said the hearings aim to revisit Presidential Decree 1069, or the Philippine Extradition Law of 1977, and the 1994 Philippines-United States extradition treaty to address ambiguities and strengthen the country’s legal framework.
Chua pressed the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to consider whether KOJC’s fundraising practices could lead to additional charges.
“Hindi ba nagso-solicit sila ng help sa ibang bansa? Tapos sasabihin nila gagamitin para makatulong sa mga nangangailangan dito sa ating bansa. But apparently nakikita natin may helicopter, may high-end sasakyan, at kung ano pang high-end living,” Chua said.
“So in a way, ang purpose kung saan nag-solicit sila dapat supposedly pantulong pero sa iba nagagamit,” he added.
Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” and longtime ally of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, faces child abuse and trafficking cases in the Philippines as well as sex trafficking, fraud, and bulk cash smuggling charges in the U.S.
He is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail while awaiting proceedings on a possible U.S. extradition request.
A representative of the AMLC told lawmakers that the Court of Appeals had granted its petitions for bank inquiry and freeze orders involving three cases against Quiboloy — one each in the U.S., Quezon City and Pasig City.
“All three cases, Your Honor, were favorably granted by the Court of Appeals,” the AMLC representative said. “We carried out the financial investigation that led us to come up with a case for the filing of a petition for civil forfeiture.”
Responding to Chua’s question, the AMLC confirmed that estafa, including syndicated estafa, is considered a predicate offense for money laundering under Philippine law.
“Estafa is one of the predicate offenses to money laundering and it can be the basis for the conduct of financial investigation and eventual filing of cases by the AMLC,” the official said.
The AMLC, however, clarified that its current actions — bank inquiries, freeze orders, and a forthcoming civil forfeiture case — are based on trafficking-related offenses both in the U.S. and in the Philippines, not estafa.
KOJC has long been accused of sending members abroad to solicit donations by claiming the funds would help the poor in the Philippines, but authorities allege the money was instead funneled into church coffers and used to support Quiboloy’s lavish lifestyle.
