DOJ nears filing of Quiboloy extradition petition

The Department of Justice is in the final stage of its legal review of the United States’ extradition request against Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy and expects to file the petition soon, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said Thursday.

“We’re almost ready to file that petition,” Vida said. “Legal scrubbing na lang kami.”

The United States formally sought Quiboloy’s extradition in August over criminal charges pending against him in California.

Vida said the DOJ has been reviewing documents submitted by U.S. authorities and preparing the verified petition required under Philippine extradition procedures.

He said the Philippines would comply with its obligations under its extradition treaty with the United States and the Supreme Court’s Rules on Extradition Proceedings.

The rules, which took effect in November 2025, govern extradition petitions, arrest warrants, hold-departure orders and bail proceedings.

Vida declined to give a specific filing date, saying several factors remain “moving and fluid.”

“Within the year, tandaan niyo maraming factors yan. May abogado yung kabilang panig at may husgado na magtitimbang na lahat ng panuntunan,” he said.

Quiboloy faces a federal indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The indictment accuses Quiboloy and other Kingdom of Jesus Christ officials of involvement in an alleged sex trafficking scheme involving girls and young women, some of whom were minors. U.S. prosecutors allege the victims were coerced into sexual activity through threats of physical and verbal abuse and “eternal damnation.”

The indictment also alleges a labor trafficking operation in which church members were brought to the United States using fraudulently obtained visas and forced to solicit donations for the Children’s Joy Foundation. Prosecutors allege the money was instead used to fund church operations and the lifestyles of its leaders.

Additional charges cited in the indictment include forced labor, document servitude, marriage fraud, bulk cash smuggling and money laundering.

The U.S. Justice Department has stressed that the charges are allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.