Apollo Quiboloy’s lawyer says pastor surrendered, countering police accounts of arrest throughout raid on sprawling church compound.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has pledged that evangelist preacher Apollo Quiboloy will obtain no particular remedy following his arrest.
A weeks-long manhunt ended over the weekend when Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed “son of god”, was arrested on costs of youngster and sexual abuse and allegations of human trafficking.
The preacher, a longtime ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte whose sect boasts of thousands and thousands of followers, can be wished in the USA on costs of intercourse trafficking and bulk money smuggling.
“There isn’t any particular remedy,” Marcos advised reporters on Monday. “We is not going to violate any of his rights and won’t ignore any of his requests, no matter they’re.
“We are going to exhibit as soon as once more that our judicial system within the Philippines is lively, vibrant and dealing,” the president added.
Quiboloy has rejected all costs towards him however went into hiding after two courts issued arrest warrants towards him in April.
He has additionally refused to seem earlier than a Senate investigation into alleged abuses of his church.
After months looking the pastor, the Marcos administration deployed greater than 2,000 police to go looking his sprawling church compound within the southern Davao Metropolis, on suspicion that he was hiding there in a bunker.
Philippine police spokesman Jean Fajardo mentioned on Sunday that Quiboloy was captured on Sunday contained in the compound.
However Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, disputed the federal government’s account, saying the pastor surrendered to the police and navy as a result of he didn’t need the state of affairs to additional escalate.
“The innocence of Quiboloy will probably be affirmed by the courtroom,” Torreon advised DZBB radio.
Marcos mentioned Quiboloy’s camp had set situations for his give up, together with a assure he wouldn’t be despatched to the US to face costs.
However Marcos mentioned that “placing situations shouldn’t be an possibility for somebody who’s a fugitive”.