The controversial Philippine televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, tagged by some as the “Appointed Son of God,” found himself abruptly ejected from the digital universe this week. YouTube, the popular video-sharing service, shut down its channel following a vehement callout by a Canadian content creator known online as Mutahar (@OrdinaryGamers).
Quiboloy, who carries significant political clout in the Philippines, is currently a fugitive from American justice, facing multiple sex trafficking charges and other criminal cases in the United States. He is also listed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) “Wanted” list.
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The influential Mutahar, boasting over 3 million subscribers on his own YouTube channel, drew attention to Quiboloy’s case in a Twitter post dated June 20. Mutahar tagged the video-sharing platform’s team and voiced his concern over why a “human trafficking priest” could still maintain a channel despite being a fugitive from US justice.
“Yo, someone at @TeamYouTube has to help the feds or shut this account down,” he tweeted a post that quickly garnered about 2,000 retweets and 14,000 “likes”.
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Acting swiftly, YouTube removed Quiboloy’s channel on June 21, less than a day after Mutahar’s post. The platform confirmed the action in a response tweet, stating that upon review, Quiboloy’s channel had been found to violate their Community Guidelines.
Reacting to YouTube’s decision, Mutahar tweeted a celebratory “W”—for “win.” The move was hailed by numerous Filipino netizens, some of whom thanked the content creator for his action, with one remarking, “Mutahar doing what our government don’t even do.”
Quiboloy, the founder of the Davao-based “Kingdom of Jesus Christ” (KOJC), is a spiritual adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte and was declared one of the most wanted criminal suspects in the United States in January 2022.
The US grand jury indictment accuses Quiboloy and other KOJC officials of recruiting females aged 12 to 25 as personal assistants or “pastorals.” These individuals were allegedly required to prepare Quiboloy’s meals, clean his residences, give him massages, and have sex with him as part of their “night duty.”
Despite the allegations, the KOJC has dismissed the charges as a “vicious attempt” to bring down its leaders. Quiboloy’s legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, did not respond immediately to requests for an interview.
While Quiboloy’s YouTube channel has been shut down, his official Facebook page, “Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy,” remains active, with the latest posts showing him at a graduation ceremony and delivering a sermon.
As of now, the authorities are yet to respond to these developments.
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