FACT CHECK: No official reports of Quiboloy death

Claim: Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy was found dead in his room in Antipolo, Rizal, in an apparent suicide.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The TikTok video bearing the claim, posted on June 1, has gained 470,000 views, 3,537 likes, and 719 shares as of writing. It was posted by an account with 2,229 followers. The account had previously posted similar videos several times about Quiboloy’s supposed death.

The bottom line: No official reports from government authorities, news outlets, or the KOJC’s official website have confirmed Quiboloy’s death. The TikTok video does not cite nor provide any proof to support its claim.

Search efforts for the fugitive pastor, who faces arrest orders over human rights abuses, are ongoing as authorities crack down on potential hideouts, including a vast ancestral land in Kitbog, Sarangani.

Quiboloy still at large: The Department of Justice believes that Quiboloy, who is wanted for child abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and human trafficking cases, remains in hiding in the Philippines.

On March 14, a Davao court issued an arrest warrant against Quiboloy for child abuse and sexual abuse. On April 11, a Pasig regional trial court also ordered the preacher’s arrest for human trafficking. 

These are in addition to the arrest order issued by the Senate against Quiboloy on March 19 for “unduly refusing to appear” at the upper chamber’s inquiry into his alleged human rights violations. (PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy)

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The KOJC leader is also on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list after he and several associates were indicted by a California court in 2021 for sex trafficking.

In April, three days after authorities initiated a search for him, the fugitive doomsday preacher declared that he would not be caught alive as he again accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration of conspiring with the United States in an alleged assassination plot against him. Marcos had earlier laughed off Quiboloy’s accusation, saying, “Why would anyone want him dead?”

The Philippine National Police also said it has not monitored any death threats against Quiboloy.

Debunked: Rappler has already published several fact-checks related to the controversial preacher:

• FACT CHECK: No $2-million bounty for Quiboloy’s arrest
• FACT CHECK: Video of Duterte attending Quiboloy’s birthday is from 2023
• FACT CHECK: Senate followed rules of procedure in Quiboloy case

– Kyle Marcelino/Rappler.com

Kyle Marcelino is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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