Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said Friday that the Philippines has a clear legal basis to temporarily surrender Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy to the United States under the PH-US Extradition Treaty.
Citing Article 11 of the treaty, Hontiveros explained that a person facing prosecution or serving a sentence in the country may still be surrendered abroad for trial and returned afterward.
“Kahit may kaso siya dito, pwede pa rin siyang dalhin sa Amerika para harapin muna ang mga kaso doon, at pagkatapos ng paglilitis ay ibalik sa Pilipinas para panagutin sa mga krimen dito,” she said.
Hontiveros stressed that Quiboloy’s alleged victims in the US have “waited too long for justice” and accused him of using his influence to evade accountability, including intimidating witnesses and avoiding Senate hearings. Allowing temporary surrender, she said, would ensure that “nakakasiguro ang Pilipinas na hindi mawawala ang ating mga kaso, at natutulungan din natin ang mga biktima sa Amerika.”
The US government formally requested Quiboloy’s extradition earlier this year in connection with a 2021 California indictment, which includes charges of sex trafficking of minors, fraud, and bulk cash smuggling.
House Deputy Minority Leader and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña also urged the Department of Justice to act swiftly on the request, warning that delays could deny justice to victims.
“Even in detention, Quiboloy continues to wield huge political and religious power in our country. His inordinate access and influence within our country’s political establishment undermine investigations and endanger witnesses,” Cendaña said.
Cendaña cited recent Senate hearings led by Hontiveros, which revealed testimonies of coercion and abuse. “By every account, Quiboloy is a pedophile who weaponized his authority to prey on the vulnerable. The US indictments echo these accounts and together present a chilling portrait of how he twisted faith and power to commit unspeakable crimes,” he added.
“I fully support his urgent extradition to the United States so that justice may finally prevail. No man, not even one claiming to be a son of God, is above the law – especially not one accused of such monstrous crimes against children and humanity,” Cendaña said.
