US imposes financial sanctions vs Duterte’s pastor friend

THE United States government imposed on Friday (Saturday Manila time) financial sanctions against a pastor and friend of former president Rodrigo Duterte amid allegations of human rights abuses.

The US State Department and the Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions against Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name (KOJC) in separate statements posted on their websites on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day and on International Human Rights Day.

Aside from Quiboloy, the US State Department and the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned 39 other individuals and entities that are connected to corruption or human rights abuse across nine countries.

“The United States is taking the…actions to promote accountability for corruption and human rights abuse around the world,” the OFAC said.

Quiboloy is facing financial sanctions under Executive Order (EO) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Act which provides specific sanctions to individuals for alleged human rights violations or other offenses.

“Pursuant to EO 13818, the Department of the Treasury is designating Quiboloy for his connection to serious human rights abuse. As the founder of the Philippines-based church, Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name (KOJC), Quiboloy took advantage of his leadership role within the KOJC to engage in a pattern of systemic and pervasive rape and other physical abuse involving minors as young as 11 years old from 2006 to at least 2020,” the US State Department said.

With the sanctions, all property and interests in property of Quiboloy that are in the US or in the possession or control of persons in the US are blocked and must be reported to the OFAC.

“In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, all transactions by US persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person,” the State Department said.

Quiboloy has denied the allegations lodged against him in the US. He claimed that someone was orchestrating the case because of ulterior motives.

Quiboloy is currently on the FBI’s Wanted List for “Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, and Sex Trafficking of Children; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion; Conspiracy; and Bulk Cash Smuggling.”

Quiboloy had endorsed the former Davao City mayor’s presidential bid in 2016..

As of posting time, the Manila Times is trying reach Quiboloy for his reaction.