JAILBIRD Apollo Quiboloy who forms part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) most wanted list, is likely to fly abroad soon — but not for a vacation as he usually does in the past.
This comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed receiving a formal request for Quiboloy’s extradition over a long list of criminal cases including child and sexual abuse, human trafficking, marriage and visa fraud, money laundering, and cash smuggling.
Quiboloy, who founded the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) sect, is also facing multiple charges before the Philippine courts. He’s been behind bars since November 2024.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs confirms it has received the United States Government’s request for the extradition of Apollo Quiboloy,” reads the agency’s statement.
The extradition request however was referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for proper disposition.
Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier confirmed that a “formal request had been transmitted” to the DOJ. His counterpart in Manila has neither confirmed nor denied transmitting the extradition request.
On March 18, 2024, a qualified human trafficking case was filed against Quiboloy before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC).
A separate case for sexual abuse of minors and maltreatment was filed before a Davao court a week prior. The Davao case was transferred to the Quezon City RTC in May 2024 upon orders of the Supreme Court to prevent “a miscarriage of justice.”
Quiboloy, who served as presidential spiritual adviser during the previous administration, went into hiding and was arrested in Davao City in September 2024. He pleaded not guilty shortly after his arrest, but had since been detained in the Pasig City Jail.
The extradition request needs the approval of the two courts, which have been trying the detained former televangelist for human trafficking and child abuse charges.
The DOJ said the Philippines could temporarily turn Quiboloy over to the United States for trial there, provided conditions and legal requirements for extradition are met.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said in a statement that the DFA, as the first point of contact in extradition requests between two states, would first determine whether the extradition bid complies with the Philippines-US treaty and other applicable laws.
Martinez noted that the government had two options under the extradition treaty with the United States.
“It can hold off on the extradition until his case here is finished, subject to applicable rules of procedure or… it can temporarily hand him over to the US for trial there, subject to and depending on conditions agreed upon by the US and (the Philippines),” he said.
Martinez cited Article 11 of the 1994 Philippines-US extradition treaty, which sets the framework for temporary and deferred surrender of a person facing charges in both countries.
“The person so surrendered shall be kept in custody in the requesting state and shall be returned to the requested state after the conclusion of the proceedings against that person, in accordance with conditions to be determined by agreement between the contracting parties,” it stated.
If the Philippines chooses to postpone the extradition of Quiboloy, it may do so until he [Quiboloy] has been fully prosecuted or has completed serving sentence, depending on the circumstances of the case.
The 76-year old self proclaimed anointed son of God founded KOJC in 1985 in Davao City. KOJC maintains a wide following in the Philippines and abroad, including in the United States.
He was regarded as a political kingmaker, alongside his longtime friend former President Rodrigo Duterte who is currently detained at The Hague for crimes against humanity in relation to the bloody war against drugs during his administration.
In 2021, US federal prosecutors announced an indictment of Quiboloy for allegedly having sex with women and underage girls who faced threats of abuse and “eternal damnation” unless they catered to him.
Along with Quiboloy are nine people named in a superseding indictment returned by a US federal grand jury and unsealed in November 2021. It 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.
After the indictment, he was placed on the list of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives.
The 2021 US indictment alleges girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 were recruited as personal assistants for Quiboloy to prepare his meals, clean his residence, give him massages, and have sex with him.
Earlier this week, Quiboloy’s co-accused in his US case, Maria De Leon, was sentenced to a jail time already served after admitting she participated in an immigration fraud scheme that benefited members of KOJC.
De Leon, in her plea, said she knowingly filed immigration petitions based on sham marriages arranged to help church members remain in the United States. She acknowledged submitting fraudulent family-based immigration petitions despite knowing the marriages were not legitimate.
Despite incarceration, Quiboloy was allowed to run for Senate in the 2025 midterm elections, garnering 5,667,438 votes.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2024 said that the government was not yet looking to extradite Quiboloy because it was “focusing on the cases filed.”
Respondents in the Philippines are dutybound to finish trials and serve sentences if convicted prior to extradition. However, under the 1994 extradition treaty between Washington and Manila, Philippine justice officials can ask a domestic court to allow the temporary surrender of a suspect to a foreign court to face trial prior to the resolution of their Philippine cases, noted Al Jazeera.
One of Quiboloy’s lawyers — Israelito Torreon, told TV program “Storycon” Thursday that they have yet to receive any extradition notice for Quiboloy.
Torreon acknowledged that the Philippines may temporarily surrender Quiboloy to the U.S. He however maintained that the detained televangelist will seek all available legal remedies — even if it takes up to the Supreme Court.
Under the Rules on Extradition Proceedings issued by the high court last year, the DOJ, acting as the central authority, can petition for the temporary surrender of an accused “if the extraditee is also facing criminal charges or serving a sentence in the Philippines for an offense other than the one for which extradition is requested.”
Another Quiboloy lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said that his client’s extradition is “extremely unfeasible” since his case is being heard by local courts.
“We’re ready to defend the (pastor’s) rights and interests.”
As this developed, Sen. Risa Hontiveros welcomed the US government’s request to extradite Quiboloy.
“It’s about time for Apollo Quiboloy to be extradited to the United States of America. He trafficked women and girls from around the world. Justice demands that he answer for these crimes in the very places he committed them,” Hontiveros said.
“As chairperson of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, which heard the heartbreaking testimonies of the women Quiboloy preyed upon, I am relieved that not one but two jurisdictions want to hold him to account for his crimes against women and girls,” she added.
She urged the DOJ to act on the US extradition request.
Hontiveros led the 2024 Senate inquiry into victims’ allegations of sexual abuses by Quiboloy.