Paulene Canada, a close associate of Apollo Quiboloy, is facing charges of sexual abuse and trafficking.
Gerard Carreon and Jeoffrey Maitem/Manila,Davao
An aide to a politically influential Filipino church leader who is wanted for alleged trafficking of underage girls and sexual abuse has been arrested in a wide-ranging manhunt, Philippine officials said Friday.
Paulene Canada, who is also facing charges of sexual abuse and trafficking, was detained on Thursday in Buhangin district in southern Davao city, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said as he presented the suspect before the press.
Police allege Canada was an aide to Apollo Quiboloy, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s spiritual adviser, who is accused in the Philippines of alleged child and sexual abuse as well as trafficking. He is also facing the same charges in the United States.
Canada is one of five co-accused with Quiboloy. All are members of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Christian church that gained prominence during the administration of Duterte, his friend and benefactor.
The arrest came after a 1-million-peso (U.S. $17,000) bounty was offered for the capture of each of the five. The prize for Quiboloy’s head is 10 million pesos.
“We will use all resources of the government to make sure that the ends of justice will be met,” Abalos told a news conference Friday.
He again urged Quiboloy, who is still believed to be in the country, to give himself up.
“We are assuring him that the police, the military will go after not just you, but also others who are wanted,” he said.
Canada appeared before the media wearing a medical face mask and wrapped in a yellow-printed head scarf, with only her eyes showing. Her eyes were downcast amid the full glare of camera lights, a BenarNews photographer said.
Abalos said that Quiboloy could be assured of a fair trial.
“This is now the time to present your evidence, this is the time to present your lawyers, we have procedures in court that we should follow and just in case [Quiboloy loses his case], he can appeal,” he said.
National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on Friday said Canada was the finance officer at Quiboloy’s church.
He did not provide any information of how she was arrested, only that she was caught after a tip on the hotline.
Col. Jean Fajardo, a spokesman for the national police, said Friday that investigators had been receiving tips from hotlines in the Davao region and it was only a matter of time before the pastor was captured.
Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, has denied knowing the whereabouts of his client, although he said there had been rumors he had fled to China.
Quiboloy has not, however, been detected passing through any of the country’s air or seaports, according to the immigration bureau.
Aside from his case in the Philippines, a U.S. grand jury in 2021 also charged Quiboloy on suspicion of orchestrating a sex-trafficking operation that coerced girls as young as 12 to have sex with him or risk “eternal damnation,” federal prosecutors said.
U.S. prosecutors said the televangelist allegedly recruited girls and young women, ranging from 12 to 25-years-old, to work as personal assistants or “pastorals” at his church. KOJC also has branches in California.
Under the charges brought against him by U.S. authorities, Quiboloy faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted of sex trafficking, and five to 20 years if convicted of fraud and money laundering.
Quiboloy founded KOJC in 1985. The sect grew in national prominence when his friend, Duterte, was elected president of the Philippines in 2016.
Mark Navales contributed reporting from Davao City, southern Philippines
Copyright ©2015-2024, BenarNews. Used with the permission of BenarNews
