MANILA, Philippines — Philippine celebrity pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God,” pleaded not guilty on Friday to a charge of sex trafficking, his lawyer said.
“He is innocent,” lawyer Israelito Torreon told reporters after an arraignment in Manila.
Quiboloy was also due to enter his plea later on Friday to charges of child abuse before another court.
Quiboloy and four other co-accused arrived in a police minibus around 45 minutes before his scheduled arraignment.
Handcuffed and in an orange detainee shirt, the preacher was almost unrecognizable underneath a bulletproof helmet and vest.
Persons:
Apollo Quiboloy, “, ”, Israelito Torreon, Quiboloy, ” Joahna Paula Domingo, Rodrigo Duterte
Locations:
MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Manila, Torreon, United States