Arrested Philippine televangelist confronted in the Senate by women he's accused of sexually abusing

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Former followers of an arrested Filipino televangelist confronted him in a Senate hearing Wednesday, accusing him of repeatedly abusing them sexually by portraying the assaults as their religious duty to the “appointed son of God."

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, who was brought to the Senate under heavy police security, denied the allegations from several women, including some from Ukraine as well as the Philippines. He challenged his accusers to file criminal complaints so he could face them in court.

The 74-year-old preacher said he could not discuss his response because criminal charges against him, including sexually abusing women and human trafficking, were already being heard in two Philippine courts.

Yulya Voronina told the Senate hearing through a video link from Ukraine that Quiboloy and his key aides allegedly forced her and other victims into agreeing to have sex with him through religious deception and coercion.

"They always used the Bible as an instrument to convince us to do it,” she said, adding that at least nine other Ukrainian women became members of Quiboloy’s group, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, based in the southern Philippine city of Davao.

The women took steps to avoid being sexually abused but Voronina said Quiboloy had access to their rooms in the sprawling religious complex, and his aides also helped coerce them into submission.

"If you say, `I don’t want,’ Quiboloy would say, `you will go to hell,’” Voronina said. “They will punish and call us, scold us in a meeting and put us in shame, saying that we were ungrateful because the pastor gave us everything.”

She managed to leave eventually and returned to Ukraine.

Filipina Teresita Valdehueza testified at the Senate hearing that she became a member of Quiboloy’s church at age 17 in 1980 as part of her deep faith. She revered him for years but said she was also sexually abused by him eventually in a Philippine hotel like three other Filipino women she knew who alternately slept with him.

Quiboloy “violated me with his lustful act that left me in shock," Valdehueza said. After the assault, she said he told her, “This is the fulfillment of God’s revelation."

“Quiboloy presented himself like a god and gradually took over the mind and bodies of his victims,” said Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who led the Senate hearing. He “presided over a malicious and systematic subversion of personal will, autonomy and dignity to make his victims participants in their own abuse — psychological, sexual, physical and economic.”

Philippine police officials investigating Quiboloy told senators that up to 200 women may have been victimized by him over many years, including 68 sexual abuse victims who have been identified by them.

Aside from the criminal charges he's facing in two Philippine courts, Quiboloy may have to answer more criminal complaints, according to police officials, who alleged during the Senate hearing that Quiboloy's organization maintained an armed group, which may have committed criminal violations.

Once among the most influential religious televangelists in the Philippines, Quiboloy backed the successful 2016 candidacy of President Rodrigo Duterte, whose deadly anti-drugs crackdown is being investigated by the International Criminal Court as a possible crime against humanity.

In response to a question, Quiboloy told the Senate that his church has about 7 million members and supporters worldwide. But police officials disputed his claim and said he has fewer than 8,000 followers in the Philippines and abroad.

Early this year, Quiboloy went into hiding after a Philippine court ordered his arrest and that of several others over allegations of child and sexual abuse and human trafficking. The Philippine Senate separately ordered his arrest for failing to appear at committee hearings investigating the allegations.

He faced similar criminal charges in the United States, where federal prosecutors in 2021 announced his indictment, along with two of his top administrators. The expanded indictment contained a raft of charges, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa fraud.

A U.S. federal warrant for Quiboloy’s arrest was issued in November 2021 and he landed on the FBI’s most-wanted list, his face splashed on the agency’s globally circulated posters of fugitives.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo told the Senate hearing there has been no request by the United States so far for Quiboloy's extradition. The preacher has accused U.S. authorities of conspiring with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against him, a charge the Philippine leader has denied.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, right, talks beside Undersecretary Gary Domingo and Commission on Human Right Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc, right, attend a senate inquiry for detained Filipino preacher Apollo Quiboloy at the Philippine Senate Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, second from left, a Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, takes oath before a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, listens as he attends a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, center, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, arrives to attend a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, listens as he attends a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, listens as he attends a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, takes his oath as he attends a hearing at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, takes his oath as he attends a hearing at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, listens as he attends a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, listens as he attends a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)