Manila, Philippines – The founder and leader of a sex cult was meted 12 life sentences (reclusion perpetua) by two Marikina regional trial court judges after he was found guilty of raping minors.
Judges of Marikina RTC branches 92 and 168 said Antonio Dumala Faelnar, founder of the Global Empire Covenant of the Divine Government, was found guilty of raping several minors who were members of the cult.
Aside from rape, the minors, who were recruited from as far as Mindanao, were also subjected to different rituals such as being hit by sticks on different parts of the body and being asked to offer pigs as a ritual sacrifice.
After the verdict, Faelnar maintained his innocence and said his destiny is up to the Lord.
He was earlier convicted to 40 years’ imprisonment for serious illegal detention for locking up minor members of his congregation inside the Marikina Heights headquarters of the cult.
Marikina police sent its SWAT team to penetrate the cult’s headquarters, rescuing 15 children who accused Faelnar of sexually harassing them.