Three senior officials from the Philippines-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church (KOJC) face federal charges in the United States for immigration fraud and labor trafficking, according to an indictment filed on February 15, 2020. Guia Cabactulan, Marissa Duenas, and Amanda Estopare were taken into custody on January 29, accused of orchestrating a multiyear operation that exploited church members under the pretense of religious work. The indictment alleges that the defendants secured visas and immigration documents for church members through deception. Only a small number of those brought to the U.S. understood they would work as street fundraisers, prosecutors say.
The rest were misled about the nature of their labor. At the heart of the case is a purported charity.
The defendants are accused of compelling church members to solicit donations for a cause described as aiding impoverished Filipino children. Prosecutors contend that charity was fabricated. Money collected on American streets, they allege, never reached children in need.
Some workers were recruited with the understanding they would perform in church concerts, the indictment states. After arriving in the United States, they were assigned to street fundraising nearly every day, year-round.
They worked extremely long hours and often slept in cars overnight. Basic necessities were withheld, including over-the-counter medicine and adequate clothing. The defendants set fundraising quotas.
Workers who met them received little or no compensation. Those who did not faced consequences.
The indictment describes a system designed to restrict the liberty of church workers, with some identified as victims of a severe form of trafficking. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ Church was founded in the Philippines by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The church maintains a significant U.S. presence, with branches in multiple states.
Its leadership has long held political influence in the Philippines. This is not the first time KOJC has faced allegations.
Quiboloy himself has been accused of abuses by former members, and the church has previously denied wrongdoing. However, the federal indictment marks the first instance of its top administrators facing criminal charges on American soil. The charges carry substantial penalties.
Immigration fraud and labor trafficking are federal crimes, and convictions could result in years of imprisonment. For victims, the indictment represents a rare official recognition of their experiences.
Church members who spoke to U.S. authorities described a cycle of exploitation: legally brought to America but stripped of freedom, working in all weather, sleeping in cars, denied medicine, and told they were helping children when they were not. The three defendants have pleaded not guilty. The trial will test the reach of U.S. law over a foreign religious organization operating within American borders and whether the church’s political connections in Manila offer any protection in a U.S. courtroom.
The Department of Justice has laid out its case, and the evidence will determine whether the church’s hierarchy can be held accountable for the labor of its most vulnerable members.
