QUIBOLOY PLEADS NOT GUILTY, SEEKS HOSPITAL ARREST

PASTOR Apollo Quiboloy on Friday pleaded not guilty to charges filed against him and four co-accused in separate court arraignments in Pasig City and Quezon City.

Quiboloy, leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) religious group,  and his co-accused Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Ingrid Canada and Sylvia Cemane, were first brought to a regional trial court in Pasig City to be arraigned in a human trafficking case.

Later in the day, they also pleaded not guilty via videoconference before a Quezon City court in a non-bailable case of child sexual abuse.

According to Quiboloy’s lawyer Israelito Torreon, his client entered a not guilty plea because he’s innocent of the charges.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that five more women have come forward to accuse Quiboloy of rape.

The 74-year-old pastor who is facing graft charges in the country and the United States, including sex trafficking, money laundering and child abuse , was arrested on Sunday after a week-long search of his church’s sprawling 74-acre compound  in Davao City by more than 2,000 police officers.

Meanwhile, the PNP said Quiboloy asked the court for a hospital arrest in Davao City.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said Quiboloy’s camp filed a motion before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159 for the
hospital arrest of the religious leader as well as one of his co-accused, Ingrid Canada.

Quiboloy and his cohorts are currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Rafael Crame, Quezon City.