No special treatment for celebrity pastor Apollo Quiboloy, says Philippine president

By Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday that evangelist preacher Apollo Quiboloy will not be given special treatment following his arrest on Sunday, after a weeks-long police search for the celebrity pastor.

Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed "owner of the universe" and "appointed son of god", is wanted on charges of child and sexual abuse and allegations of human trafficking in the Philippines. He is also wanted by Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S. on charges of sex trafficking and bulk cash smuggling.

Quiboloy, who has rejected all charges, is followed by millions of people in the Philippines, where church leaders hold heavy sway in politics.

"There is no special treatment," Marcos told reporters on Monday. "We will treat him like any other arrested person and respect his rights."

"We will demonstrate once again that our judicial system in the Philippines is active, vibrant and working," he added.

More than 2,000 police were deployed to search for Quiboloy, who had been hiding inside a "Bible school" at the sprawling compound in the southern city of Davao owned by his church, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), police said on Monday.

Police gave Quiboloy until Sunday to surrender, otherwise they would "assault" the building, Davao regional police chief Nicolas Torre told a press briefing on Monday.

Quiboloy was presented to the media on Monday, but his face was concealed by a cap, sunglasses, mask and scarf.

Quiboloy's lawyer, Israelito Torreon, said the pastor surrendered to the police and military because he did not want the situation to further escalate. "The innocence of Quiboloy will be affirmed by the court," Torreon told DZBB radio.

"The surrender was a formality. At the end of the day, whether he likes it or not, the end result will ultimately be the same," Torre said.

Interior Minister Benjamin Abalos Jr. told the same briefing the government was looking to file charges against people who helped Quiboloy evade arrest.

Quiboloy is also a longtime friend of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has filed a criminal complaint against Abalos and several police officers for damaging Quiboloy's property.

Marcos said Quiboloy's camp had set conditions for his surrender, including a guarantee he would not be sent to the United States to face charges.

"Putting conditions is not an option for someone who is a fugitive," Marcos said, describing the law enforcement operation to capture Quiboloy as "police work at its best".

"It is with some relief that I can say that this phase of the operation is over. We will now leave Quiboloy to the judicial system," he said.

The Philippines' Department of Justice acknowledged the country's extradition treaty with the U.S. but said in a statement on Monday that Quiboloy will first face trial and serve any sentence in the Philippines before any extradition request is granted.

(Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Editing by Michael Perry)