Sen. Risa Hontiveros (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Two former members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), which is headed by self-declared “Appointed Son of God” Apollo Quiboloy, testified that they were forced to solicit funds and sell goods for the church, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in a press conference on Tuesday
The former KOJC members presented videos who supposedly endured physical and emotional abuse.
READ: Hontiveros bares stories of abuse of women, kids under Quiboloy organization
One of them was Arlene Stone who now lives in Minnesota in the United States. According to Stone, she used to be a member of KOJC’s “inner circle.”
Female inner circle members are obliged to render personal support services to Quiboloy. Those within the “innermost circle,” on the other hand, are obliged to have sexual relations with him.
“I was 15 years old when I first converted to Quiboloy. We were forced to beg there for money in Amoranto. We were sent from Davao to Manila to beg. My sister and I lived in the Amoranto Colosseum in Cubao in 1991 and we were forced to pretend to be dumb, deaf, as well as fake students for us to solicit more money,” Stone said, speaking partly in Filipino.
“I was one of Quiboloy’s best sellers. So I was one of those sent to Manila so that we could sell puto and kutsinta (steamed rice cakes). But when we couldn’t meet the quota and couldn’t sell our products, we had punishments. I personally experienced a beating from Quiboloy. It was 60 slashes and I also experienced being humiliated in front of Quiboloy’s members and workers.”
Being an inner circle member, Stone said she was also obliged by the church to massage Quiboloy and his spiritual wives.
Similar to what Stone revealed, a 15-year-old, alias Jackson, bared that he was also forced to solicit funds for the organization.
Hontiveros earlier filed a resolution seeking to investigate Quiboloy and KOJC’s alleged involvement in criminal activities such as sexual abuse and human trafficking.
The opposition lawmaker said she filed the resolution after supposed victims of KOJC sought her office’s help.
Among the allegations that Quiboloy committed large-scale human trafficking and rape.