Filipino 'Son of God' preacher pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges | World News

“He is innocent,” lawyer Israelito Torreon told reporters after an arraignment in Manila. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October, Torreon said.

Quiboloy also faces child abuse charges in another court.

“We firmly believe that the truth about the alleged crimes of Apollo C. Quiboloy and his co-defendants will eventually come to light,” Joahna Paula Domingo, a co-counsel for the alleged victim, said in a statement released ahead of the morning's arraignment.

“It is worth noting that these cases were filed in 2019 and we have been seeking justice for the plaintiff for a long time since then,” she said.

Quiboloy and four other co-defendants arrived in a police minibus about 45 minutes before their scheduled arraignment. Handcuffed and wearing an orange prison shirt, the preacher was barely recognizable under his bulletproof helmet and vest.

Quiboloy, who faces a range of charges in the Philippines and the United States including sex trafficking, money laundering and child abuse, was arrested on Sunday after more than 2,000 security forces searched his church's 30-hectare compound for weeks.

When asked by a reporter upon his arrival at court what his message to his supporters was, he said “tatag lang, tatag lang,” which means 'stay strong, stay strong' in the Philippines.

Quiboloy is followed by millions of people in the Philippines, where church leaders have great influence on politics. He is a longtime friend of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

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