Detained Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on Thursday filed several counts of libel and cyberlibel against Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Representatives Leila de Lima and Perci Cendaña, accusing them of making statements that his legal team considers defamatory.

Quiboloy’s lead counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, filed the complaints at the Pasig Prosecutor’s Office, saying the cases arose from statements by the three lawmakers about the detained pastor and the criminal cases he faces.

“We cannot know where those accusations came from because this is sub judice and is still being tried in Pasig,” Topacio told reporters.

“There is no judgment here. There is no conviction. And this is still being tried,” he said, arguing that the pastor remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Imprisonment, fines loom

Topacio said the complaints seek damages and carry the usual criminal penalties of imprisonment and fines if the respondents are eventually found guilty.

He said the three lawmakers had spoken about Quiboloy in a manner that made it appear he had already been convicted and was serving a sentence. “We are still far from that stage,” Topacio said.

Quiboloy is facing a qualified human trafficking case before the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 159. He also faces separate cases under the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act involving alleged sexual and child abuse before a Quezon City court. 

The Pasig court denied Quiboloy’s petition for bail in the qualified human trafficking case in 2025, ruling that the prosecution had presented strong evidence for purposes of the bail hearing. The court’s ruling did not constitute a final judgment on his guilt. 

The filing also comes as the United States seeks Quiboloy’s extradition over federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. 

Topacio said the extradition process is separate and should still undergo the procedures required under Philippine law and the Philippines-US extradition treaty.

He said the US request first goes through the Department of Foreign Affairs for evaluation before it can be endorsed to the Department of Justice to file an extradition petition in court.

“Information will only become available once this reaches the courts,” Topacio said when asked if Quiboloy’s camp would formally respond to the extradition case.