Detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church founder, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy could end up facing even more charges according to Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua.

Chua, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said Quiboloy could be liable for syndicated estafa, as he cited allegations that the donations solicited from abroad--supposedly for charity--were allegedly diverted to finance a lavish lifestyle.

The was brought up during the House Committee on Justice’s motu proprio inquiry into the country’s nearly five-decade-old extradition law.

During a recent hearing, Chua pressed the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to consider whether KOJC’s fundraising practices could lead to additional charges.

“Hindi ba nagso-solicit sila ng help sa ibang bansa? Tapos sasabihin nila gagamitin para makatulong sa mga nangangailangan dito sa ating bansa. But apparently nakikita natin may helicopter, may high-end sasakyan, at kung ano pang high-end living,” Chua said.

(Don’t they solicit help from other countries? Then they say it will be used to help those in need here in our country. But apparently, we see there’s a helicopter, high-end vehicles, and other signs of luxurious living.)

“So in a way, ang purpose kung saan nag-solicit sila dapat supposedly pantulong pero sa iba nagagamit,” he noted.

(So in a way, the purpose for which they solicited help, which is supposedly to provide aid, wasn't true as there was another purpose),” he added.

Quiboloy is already waist-deep in charges as it is. The self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” faces child abuse and trafficking cases in the Philippines as well as sex trafficking, fraud, and bulk cash smuggling charges in the United States (US).

A representative of the AMLC told lawmakers that the Court of Appeals (CA) had granted its petitions for bank inquiry and freeze orders involving three cases against Quiboloy — one each in the US, Quezon City, and Pasig City.

“All three cases, Your Honor, were favorably granted by the Court of Appeals,” the AMLC representative said. “We carried out the financial investigation that led us to come up with a case for the filing of a petition for civil forfeiture.”

Responding to Chua’s question, the AMLC confirmed that estafa, including syndicated estafa, is considered a predicate offense for money laundering under Philippine law.

“Estafa is one of the predicate offenses to money laundering and it can be the basis for the conduct of financial investigation and eventual filing of cases by the AMLC,” the official said.

The AMLC, however, clarified that its current actions — bank inquiries, freeze orders, and a forthcoming civil forfeiture case — are based on trafficking-related offenses both in the US and in the Philippines, not estafa.

KOJC has long been accused of sending members abroad to solicit donations by claiming the funds would help the poor in the Philippines, but authorities allege the money was instead funneled into church coffers and used to support Quiboloy’s lavish lifestyle.