Quiboloy church linked to fake marriages in Canada

  • Page Views 565
  • Some 100 allegedly fraudulent marriages in Canada are connected to the religious group led by the spiritual adviser of now former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.

    This stunning allegation was made on March 5, 2024 by Dindo Maquiling, a former follower of Apollo Quiboloy.

    Maquiling is a former executive director in Canada of the Children’s Joy Foundation, a group identified with Quiboloy, a close friend of Duterte.

    Maquiling testified on March 5 before a panel of the Philippine Senate that was investigating allegations of abuses by Quiboloy.

    The testimony sheds some light on the international operations of Quiboloy’s church, which is headquartered in Davao City, the bailiwick of Duterte.

    Citing Maquiling’s testimony, multiple media reports related that the fake marriages were allegedly done to circumvent immigration laws in Canada.

    The said alleged practice was supposedly intended to give Canadian legal status to people who were raising funds for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the church founded and led by Quiboloy.

    Testifying online during the Senate panel’s inquiry into alleged abuses by Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Maquiling also revealed that he participated in a sham marriage in 2013.

    The former Quiboloy follower said that he married another church member because the woman’s visa was going to expire.

    Maquiling also related that he was a Canadian citizen at the time.

    “Hindi lang po ako ang biktima. Meron po’ng kulang-kulang na isang-daan na kasalan po dito sa ‘Kingdom’ ni Pastor Quiboloy na puro peke, dito lang ho sa Canada,” Maquiling said.

    (I’m not the only victim. There were about a hundred marriages in Pastor Quiboloy’s ‘Kingdom’ that were all fake in Canada alone.)

    Maquiling was a toy company manager in Canada before joining Quiboloy’s flock.

    The man became a Kingdom of Jesus Christ volunteer in 2013 and helped Quiboloy’s group raise funds for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

    Maquiling was appointed executive director in Canada of the Children’s Joy Foundation in 2016.

    He resigned from the Quiboloy-associated foundation in 2019.

    Quiboloy was an influential figure during the term of then Philippine president Duterte.

    He is now facing legal troubles under the administration of Duterte’s successor and current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

    On March 4, 2024, the Philippine Department of Justice said that it had recommended the filing of charges of child abuse and human trafficking against Quiboloy.

    Quiboloy is also facing charges in the United States.

    The preacher was accused of sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and other charges when a federal grand jury in California indicted him in 2021.

    The 2021 indictment alleged that Quiboloy obtained fraudulent visas for the members of his Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

    In February 2022, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation placed Quiboloy on its most wanted list.

    An FBI poster states that Quiboloy is “wanted for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders”.

    “Members who proved successful at soliciting for the church allegedly were forced to enter into sham marriages or obtain fraudulent student visas to continue soliciting in the United States year-round.

    “Furthermore, it is alleged that females were recruited to work as personal assistants, or ‘pastorals,’ for Quiboloy and that victims prepared his meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages and were required to have sex with Quiboloy in what the pastorals called ‘night duty’,” the FBI poster also notes.

    On November 10, 2021, a U.S. federal warrant was issued for Quiboloy’s arrest.

    Quiboloy calls himself the “appointed son of God”.

    Controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy is a friend of and spiritual adviser to now former President president Rodrigo Duterte.

    By Carlito Pablo

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 20 November 2024
      4 days ago No comment

      Surrey Tree Lighting Festival welcomes Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Wizard on Nov. 23 Canadian artist and athlete to host breakdance demonstration

      Surrey, B.C. – The City of Surrey is proud to announce that Canadian breakdancer and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, will host a breakdance demonstration at the 14th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival & Holiday Market at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. ...

    • Photo by the Canadian Armed Forces.
      14 November 2024
      1 week ago No comment

      How Filipinos contribute to Canada’s diverse military

      As one of the biggest racialized populations in Canada, Filipinos are helping build a diverse and inclusive society. Filipinos are found in almost every aspect of life in the country, including the military. In the lead-up to this year’s commemoration of Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week, Statistics Canada on ...

    • 07 November 2024
      2 weeks ago No comment

      Marcos congratulates Trump

      President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has congratulated Donald Trump for winning the November 5, 2024 U.S. presidential election. “President Trump has won, and the American people have triumphed. I congratulate them on their victory in an exercise that showed the world the strength of American values,” Marcos ...

    • Pope Francis addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during the Angelus prayer on October 27, 2024 in The Vatican.
      04 November 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Pope prays for Kristine victims in Philippines

      MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has offered prayers for Filipinos affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. At Sunday’s Angelus address at the Vatican, the 87-year-old pontiff reportedly mentioned praying for the victims of Kristine. “I am close to the population of the Philippines, struck by a powerful cyclone. May ...

    • 04 November 2024
      3 weeks ago No comment

      Duterte: no apology, no excuses for drug war

      Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on October 28, 2024 offered no apologies or excuses for his actions as he faced a Senate investigation into his widely criticized bloody war on drugs for the first time. Before reading his prepared statement during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, ...