Police withdraw from 'sex cult' compound as fugitive pastor surrenders

Police withdrew from a religious compound in the Philippines after a fugitive pastor accused of running a sex cult inside surrendered to authorities.

Thousands of officers ended their 16-day siege of the 30-hectare Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) estate in Davao del Sur province, the Philippines, as wanted televangelist Apollo Quiboloy turned himself in to the police on September 8.

He reportedly agreed to surrender following an ultimatum given by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that they would raid another building in the complex.

Footage shows officers carrying equipment out of the sprawling compound while Quiboloy's supporters were holding a thanksgiving prayer to mark the end of the police search.

Speaking to local media on Sunday, Police Colonel Jean Fajardo, spokesman for the Philippine National Police, said: 'There was a negotiation earlier, around 1:30pm, for their peaceful surrender and we gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to surrender. There was a negotiation, and this was a joint effort of the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

'The PNP gave an ultimatum for them to surrender, otherwise we will enter a particular building that we are not allowed to, so there was a negotiation.'

She added that the pastor's aides, Jackielyn Roy, Ingrid Canada, Crisente Canada, Sylvia Cemañes - also wanted on human trafficking charges - were also arrested.

The suspects were flown out of Davao City in the southern island of Mindanao and arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Manila at 8:30pm local time. They were taken to the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City to undergo health checks.

In a statement, Quiboloy's legal counsel, Attorney Israelito Torreon, said the religious leader made the 'ultimate sacrifice' by surrendering.

He said: 'This is to inform the Filipino People that Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy decided to surrender to the PNP/AFP because he does not want the lawless violence to continue to happen in the KOJC Compound and he could not bear to witness a second longer the sufferings that his flock was experiencing for many days.'

The lawyer also accused police of brutality and 'arbitrary arrests' while hunting down Quiboloy.

More than 2,000 cops were deployed to serve an arrest warrant for the the preacher who leads the KOJC - a Christian sect allegedly with seven million members.

Furious fanatics squared off against the police in late August, leading to 18 arrests for obstruction of justice. Six policemen were injured in the clashes.

The KOJC compound was reported to house a labyrinthine network of underground tunnels and passages, and even a hangar with a taxiway leading to the Davao International Airport.

Quiboloy, who has styled himself an 'Appointed Son of God', is wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, conspiracy, and bulk cash smuggling. He also allegedly traffics members around the world, with an inner circle of women who perform what they call 'nighttime duties', taking it in turns to sleep with him.

He grew his following through radio, televangelism, and social media.

Quiboloy has ties with the powerful Duterte family ruling local politics in Davao City. He served as spiritual adviser to the vitriolic former President Rodrigo Duterte and allegedly enjoyed the politician's protections until he stepped down in 2022.