Quiboloy's surrender demand 'immaterial' — Marcos

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said all conditions demanded by Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, in exchange for his surrender are “immaterial.” 

In an interview, Marcos lamented that Quiboloy’s camp must try to understand the country’s judicial process. 

“Parang hindi niya yata masyadong naintindihan ang proseso ng pagka nag-issue ang korte ng bench warrant or warrant for arrest, it is out of our hands already. It is in the court's hands (It seems he does not fully understand the process. When a court issues a bench warrant or warrant for arrest, it is out of our hands already),” Marcos said, 

Quiboloy’s camp earlier demanded a written assurance from Marcos and Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, stating that the US would not interfere with his legal battles in the Philippines. 

US authorities indicted Quiboloy in a conspiracy case after being engaged in sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, and abuse of children. 

Marcos said Quiboloy’s camp must communicate to the court.

“Kailangan ang kausap niya ang korte. Dahil ang executive, ang papel lang namin ngayon ay arestuhin siya (He needs to talk to the court. Because the executive [department] is just doing its duty to arrest him). So, all of these conditions that he's putting in are immaterial,” Marcos stressed. 

Department of Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez earlier said the Philippine government cannot guarantee that Quiboloy won’t be extradited to the US as the country is obliged to comply with what has been agreed upon under the Manila-Washington extradition treaty. 

“Hindi ko pangunahan kung ano man iyong desisyon noong nakakataas sa akin lalo na kasi that is a major policy decision but kung darating man iyong panahon na iyan ay option ng gobyerno, kasi obligasyon natin kasi mayroon tayong extradition treaty (I don’t want to pre-empt the decision of higher-ups especially that is a major policy decision but if the time comes, the government has option because we are obliged due to that extradition treaty),” Vasquez said.

“No one in government can give that guarantee, strictly speaking,” he added.

“[T]hat was concurred in by Senate. It is an obligation of the State regardless of whoever is in the leadership position now,” he added.

Vasquez also said the government will not give special treatment to Quiboloy once he is already arrested in the Philippines. 

Also, Vasquez said issuing a guarantee letter to Quiboloy “is a legal” matter that “needs to be carefully studied.”

“In the first place, no government official would want to violate the law and all our treaties have the force of law once they are signed and concurred in by the Senate,” he noted. 

“That’s part of our legal obligation, and you can just imagine if we would renege on our international obligations in favor of an individual,” he added. 

In 2021, Quiboloy and nine other members of the KOJC sect were indicted in the US for sex trafficking. 

The fugitive religious leader has been placed on the most wanted list of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In April this year, a Pasig City court ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for qualified human trafficking. 

Quiboloy also has an existing arrest warrant for a child and sexual abuse complaint issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court.

The Philippine National Police initially attempted to serve a warrant of arrest to Quiboloy on 10 June at a KOJC compound in Davao City but he was “nowhere to be found", as of this writing.