Quiboloy extradition order out; Trump gift?

A Makati Court has issued extradition warrants for detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and two co-accused wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which some groups associated with the visit next week of US President Donald Trump.

The FBI is pursuing Apollo Quiboloy who is facing a 2021 US indictment. The KoJC, which was founded in Davao in 1985, has branches in the US.

The charges against Quiboloy include conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling, and visa fraud.

Quiboloy is wanted by the US government, a sovereign state, so his case falls under the 1994 Philippines-US Extradition Treaty, Presidential Decree 1069, and the Rules on Extradition Proceedings.

Comparisons were being made between the domestic court process that Quiboloy went through and the process involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who is facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Dela Rosa is wanted by the ICC, an international tribunal, as an alleged indirect co-perpetrator of crimes against humanity tied to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

The question of whether a foreign court’s warrant may be applied to Dela Rosa is pending in the Supreme Court, while the senator has been in hiding since May.

In short, Quiboloy’s case follows a settled procedure and is moving, while Dela Rosa’s situation depends on an untested legal question and is stalled.

A Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued an extradition warrant of arrest and hold departure orders on 12 November for Quiboloy and two of his associates, the Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed.

The orders were issued by Makati RTC Branch 145, presided over by Judge Karen Matti Sy, acting on a formal extradition petition filed by the DoJ on 9 November on behalf of the United States government.

Alongside Quiboloy, the court’s directives cover KoJC officials Teresita Tolibas Dandan and Helen Panilag.

US prosecutors are seeking the surrender of Quiboloy, Dandan and Panilag to stand trial in American courts.

According to US court documents, Quiboloy and his co-accused allegedly ran a labor and sex trafficking network that recruited church members and sent them to the United States using fraudulently obtained visas.

Once in the US, the members were allegedly coerced into soliciting donations for a bogus charity to fund church operations and the lifestyle of its leaders, while young women and girls were allegedly coerced into sexual acts under threat of “eternal damnation.”

Seals removed March 2024

The arrest warrants issued by the US court were unsealed in March 2024 and remain valid and enforceable.

The clerk of court is also tasked with issuing summonses to be served personally alongside the petition and its supporting annexes.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida and DoJ officials emphasized that extradition proceedings in the Philippines were sui generis — unique administrative-judicial processes rather than criminal trials.

Judge Sy’s court will not determine the guilt or innocence of Quiboloy, Dandan, and Panilag, as that authority rests solely with the US justice system.

The Makati RTC evaluated whether the US request met the requirements of the 1994 Philippines-US Extradition Treaty, including verifying the respondents’ identities, establishing dual criminality under both nations’ laws, and confirming a prima facie case before authorizing their surrender.

Quiboloy, who was arrested in Davao City in September 2024, is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail.

He is facing separate, non-bailable domestic charges for qualified human trafficking before a Pasig City court, as well as child and sexual abuse charges before a Quezon City court.

Quiboloy has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations against him.

His legal counsel, Israelito Torreon, has stated that while the defense respects the treaty prerogatives of the United States, they hope the Philippine government would exercise its sovereign option to let local courts finish trying Quiboloy’s domestic criminal cases before deciding on any transfer to US custody.

Justice officials have noted that under the extradition treaty, the government is weighing whether to prioritize resolving his Philippine trials or arrange a temporary surrender once the extradition petition is resolved.

Long overdue — Palace

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the warrant of arrest issued by the US government against Quiboloy was long overdue and was not connected to the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Manila.

“It may have been a coincidence, as the FBI’s request had been pending for quite some time and the volume of documents involved required a lengthy review. But this was already long overdue,” she said in a briefing at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Castro, a trial lawyer by profession, said Quiboloy could exhaust all legal remedies, such as an appeal to the Court of Appeals, “if the case is unfavorable for the extradite.”

“But after the CA renders its decision, it is final and executory,” she said, adding that the case cannot be elevated to the Supreme Court because that’s the nature of the procedure under the rules promulgated by the SC.

“If someone will testify in a trial court, the court must decide in 30 days. If filed for an appeal at the CA, it should be decided within 90 days,” she added.