October 10, 2024
MANILA – The notorious Filipino preacher Apollo Quiboloy has many titles: Appointed Son of God, Owner of the Universe and leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ religious group, which critics view as a cult. And now, the controversial pastor accused of sexually abusing women and girls as young as 12 wants to add another title to that list: senator of the Philippines.
On Oct 8, Quiboloy shocked supporters and critics alike when his lawyer filed his candidacy papers for the May 2025 midterm elections.
The 74-year-old preacher is currently detained in Manila while awaiting trial for child sexual abuse and human trafficking charges filed against him in the Philippines. He is also wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for similar crimes in the US.
He was arrested in September after a long-drawn-out manhunt that saw his loyal followers clashing with the police. And that has not stopped Quiboloy from throwing his hat in the ring for the 2025 senate race.
It is not unusual in the Philippines for candidates to run for public office while on trial or from behind bars – and this points to the brokenness of the country’s political system and electoral laws, analysts say.
“It really boils down to the idea that Philippine politics is a protection racket. You run for office for you not to land in jail,” said visiting senior fellow Aries Arugay at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
Quiboloy’s chances of winning remain to be seen, as his name has not been included in pre-election surveys so far.
But should he push through with his campaign, Dr Arugay said that the publicity could help gain sympathy for the preacher when his court trial begins. A closed, pretrial hearing is set for Oct 17.
“It’s like gaslighting. You can violate all the laws and commit the most heinous of crimes, and then you use the electoral route to whitewash yourself, make yourself clean and, in the end, possibly influence even court proceedings,” he told The Straits Times.
The Philippines’ election code says candidates can only be disqualified from running if they have exhausted all appeals after being convicted of offences involving “moral turpitude”, but it does not list specific crimes.
Quiboloy has not been convicted of any crimes so far, and so is well within his constitutional rights to run for office, his lawyers say.
Senior research fellow Michael Yusingco at the Manila-based think-tank Ateneo Policy Centre, who is also a lawyer, told ST that Quiboloy could be disqualified as a candidate if there is a final conviction by the Supreme Court.
He said Quiboloy could also be disqualified if it is proven that he committed material misrepresentation in his candidacy papers. Anyone can file a case for disqualification against the preacher, he explained.
Quiboloy stated in his candidacy filing on Oct 8 that he was nominated by the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP). But WPP official Sonny Matula subsequently tweeted on the same day that none of the party leaders signed off on Quiboloy’s candidacy as required, and they plan to raise the matter with the Commission on Elections.
ST reached out to Quiboloy’s legal team, but there was no response.
There are numerous examples of Philippine politicians having successfully run for office while on trial, in jail or out on bail.
Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose nine-year term was marred by allegations of corruption and election fraud, had several cases filed against her after her presidency ended in mid-2010. She was placed on hospital arrest due to a spinal condition.
Despite being detained, Ms Arroyo campaigned for a House of Representatives seat in 2013 and in 2016, winning both times. She walked free in 2016 after the Supreme Court dismissed her case.
Then there was former navy officer Antonio Trillanes IV, who was in jail after leading a coup attempt against Ms Arroyo, when he was elected senator for the first time in 2007. Ms Arroyo’s successor, the late Benigno Aquino III, later pardoned Mr Trillanes in 2010, who was re-elected in 2013.
Another notable example was Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who won a senate seat in May 2022 while on trial for corruption. He took up the post and was acquitted in January.
There was also rights campaigner Leila de Lima, who spent the majority of her six-year senate term in prison after being detained in 2017 on drug charges. She was cleared in 2024.
For Mr Yusingco, Quiboloy’s senate bid is the latest wake-up call for the need to amend the Philippines’ 39-year-old election code.
But it will be an uphill battle, as lawmakers benefiting from the current election rules would not be keen to address the issue.
“The current crop of dynastic politicians benefits directly from the broken system. So why would they kill the goose that lays the golden egg for them, right?” said Mr Yusingco.
“Unfortunately, we keep on electing those people. We are in a vicious sandpit that we cannot get out of.”
According to the Philippine media, the Quiboloy-led religious group claims to have four million followers in the country and another two million members overseas. It also has a following in Singapore, although the exact numbers in the Republic are unknown.