Singapore organisation to remove Philippine pastor Apollo Quiboloy as patron if convicted of sex offences

SINGAPORE: A Singapore organisation said it would remove Philippine pastor Apollo Quiboloy as a patron if he is convicted of charges he is facing.

Quiboloy, the head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church with more than 7 million followers, has been arrested and charged in the Philippines with offences including child trafficking and sexual abuse.

He is also wanted in the US for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation between 2002 and 2018, and allegedly forcing girls to have sex with him.

MADE PATRON, GIVEN HONORARY DOCTORATES

On his LinkedIn profile, Quiboloy describes himself as a patron of the Royal Institution Singapore, and claims he has received honorary doctorates from the organisation.

In response to queries from CNA, the chancellor of the institution Dr Samuel Salvador confirmed on Tuesday (Sep 24) that Quiboloy has been a patron since 2019.

He said: “Being aware of the current indictments faced by Pastor Apollo C Quiboloy, Royal Institution closely monitors these cases. 

“Definitely, all his titles awarded to him (and/or conferments) will be withdrawn once he is convicted by the court with finality.”

Quiboloy was made a patron of the organisation in September 2019 in an elaborate ceremony in Davao City.

The organisation, which counts former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former senator Helena Benitez among its patrons, wrote in a Facebook post that thousands had turned up for the crowning.

Pictures that have since been removed from the organisation’s Facebook page showed Quiboloy decked out in robes and a crown, with Arroyo in similar robes standing next to him at the swearing-in ceremony.

The pictures were carried by Philippine news outlets, including Rappler and the Philippine Star, and received thousands of shares.

A post on the Facebook page of Jose Maria College Foundation – a college set up by Quiboloy – said he had been awarded 10 honorary doctorates by the Royal Institution Singapore.

Dr Salvador said patrons carry the “continuing qualifications of being a person of integrity, honesty and compassion”.

“Rest assured that Royal Institution continues to be thorough and rigid in our screening and evaluation process for those who become members, fellows and/or patrons of the Institution to ensure that only those that possess the strict qualifications are recognised,” he added.

He said that Quiboloy has been an “inactive member” since 2019, and that the organisation “does not have any contact or communications at all with him”.

The celebrity pastor, who was former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's spiritual adviser, remains listed on the Royal Institution Singapore’s website as one of its five patrons.

According to Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records, the organisation has been registered in Singapore since 2003 and has an office on Tanglin Road. 

It described itself as a “multidisciplinary, professional membership and accrediting” institution and a “premier platform for smarter and more effective global networking”.

“Those who become members or fellows or patrons of Royal Institution undergo (a) rigorous evaluation process to determine their academic and professional qualifications and experiences, contributions, achievements, skills, talents and/or businesses,” said Dr Salvador.

CHARGES AGAINST QUIBOLOY

The pastor, who has proclaimed himself the “owner of the universe” and “appointed son of god”, was arrested in the Philippines after a huge operation involving about 2,000 police officers.

He was charged in the Philippines with sex trafficking, an offence which he has denied. 

Quiboloy is also wanted in the US for multiple crimes.

According to a 2021 indictment, Quiboloy and two church workers recruited girls and women – aged between 12 and 25 – to work as his personal assistants or “pastorals”. 

The victims were allegedly assigned to have sex with Quiboloy, something the victims described as “night duty”.

They were told that having sex with him was “god’s will” and a “necessary demonstration” of their commitment to give their bodies to Quiboloy as the “appointed son of god”, according to the indictment.

Those who obeyed were rewarded with good food, hotel stays, trips and annual payments based on their performance.

Those who hesitated faced the threat of verbal as well as physical abuse, and were told they had the “devil in them and risked eternal damnation”, it added. 

Of the five victims named in the indictment, three of them were minors when the alleged sex trafficking began. 

He also faces labour trafficking offences – church administrators allegedly brought workers from the Philippines to the US.

Once there, they took away all forms of identification and made the workers solicit money for the church and its leaders.