Janvic Mateo, Bella Cariaso
In Manila, Philippines, two associates of the detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder, Apollo Quiboloy, have reportedly entered into a plea agreement in the United States. Guia Cabactulan and Amanda Estopare have agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge related to marriage fraud, as reported by GMA News.
The duo, alongside Quiboloy and six others, was indicted for allegedly orchestrating a sex and labor trafficking operation. Cabactulan served as the lead KOJC administrator in the US, while Estopare was responsible for tracking and reporting the funds raised in the US to KOJC officials back in the Philippines.
According to the 17-page plea agreement, both could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A court hearing to discuss the plea agreement is scheduled for next week, where sentencing may be set.
Cabactulan and Estopare were arrested in 2020, along with another co-accused, Marissa Duenas, who also reached a plea deal with US authorities earlier this month. The original indictment accused the trio of overseeing a labor trafficking scheme that forced church members to solicit donations for a fraudulent charity after illegally obtaining visas and immigration documents.
In 2021, a US federal grand jury expanded the indictment to include additional defendants, including Quiboloy, alleging a scheme that coerced young women into sexual acts with the church leader under threats of “eternal damnation.”
Several others have been arrested in connection to the case, while Quiboloy and two associates remain at large and were placed on the FBI’s most wanted list in 2022. Quiboloy is currently detained in the Philippines facing separate charges of qualified human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual abuse.
The US government has yet to request his extradition, according to Philippine authorities, and the Department of Justice has assured that the criminal charges against Quiboloy in the Philippines will remain unaffected by the plea agreements made by his associates in the US.
