Apollo Quiboloy's bail request in trafficking cases denied by court
A Pasig court has junked the bail request of Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his co-accused amid their qualified human trafficking cases.
In a resolution issued on July 20, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 159 denied bail petitions by Quiboloy, Sylvia Cemañes, Paulene Canada, Jackielyn Roy, Cresente Canada, and Ingrid Canada as the prosecution found that the evidence gathered presented a great presumption of guilt.
"At this juncture, the prosecution has sufficiently shown that the evidence of guilt against all the accused is strong on the two crimes of qualified human trafficking committed by a syndicate," the court stated.
"Thus, given these pieces of evidence against all the accused at this point which establish a great presumption of guilt for purposes of bail, the Court must deny their petitions for bail," it added.
However, the court emphasized that the denial does not determine the outcome of the cases.
"The Court is merely tasked with resolving the Petitions for Bail filed by all the accused, and not with rendering a judgment on the merits of the case. There remains a long process ahead, and both parties have the opportunity to present further evidence," they said.
The resolution also enumerated the different acts that were allegedly committed by Quiboloy and his co-accused that constitute elements of qualified human trafficking.
Quiboloy allegedly convinced a victim to be a full-time miracle worker and subjected them to sexual exploitation. The others allegedly assisted in the affair by facilitation the conditions that enabled the abuse, among others.
Quiboloy was apprehended in September last year after going into hiding and sparking a two-week manhunt.
Apart from the qualified human trafficking charge, he is also facing cases for violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
Quiboloy and his church have previously been probed for human trafficking investigations for years.
The controversial pastor, who calls himself the "Appointed Son of God," has been on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list since February 2022.
