‘Extradition arrest warrant vs Quiboloy out

MANILA, Philippines — A Makati court has issued an extradition arrest warrant against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founding leader Apollo Quiboloy and two of his co-accused in his cases in the United States.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) found probable cause to issue an extradition arrest warrant against Quiboloy, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag.

All three were also issued hold-departure orders “to prevent any attempt by each of them to depart from the Philippines.”

Citing the Rules on Extradition Proceedings, the DOJ said that once the court is notified of the implementation of the arrest of an extradite, the corresponding summons, including the copy of the petition and its annexes, should be personally served to the extradite.

The person is then given 15 days to file a verified answer.

The DOJ explained that it filed an extradition petition, in behalf of the US government, against Quiboloy, Dandan and Panilag, in connection with charges of international human trafficking, sex trafficking, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling.

Quiboloy has been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s most wanted list.

He is detained at the Pasig City Jail for his qualified human trafficking case before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court.

DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said the prosecution has already concluded its presentation of evidence in the case and is set to file its formal offer of evidence.

The defense, thereafter, will be given an opportunity to submit its comment.

Apart from this, a separate child abuse case is pending before the Quezon City RTC, with the prosecution still presenting its evidence.

Quiboloy was arrested in the Philippines in 2024 but three years prior to this, a US grand jury indicted him for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of children and bulk cash smuggling.

The National Bureau of Investigation said it will coordinate with the DOJ on the next steps, although it has yet to receive a copy of the warrant from the Makati RTC, NBI chief Melvin Matibag told reporters yesterday.

“If there is already an extradition warrant, it means the subject of the warrant should be presented to the court for its execution,” he said.

He said the NBI was ready to assist in Quiboloy’s extradition to the US, depending on the instructions of the DOJ.

Matibag explained that since Quiboloy is already detained, the agency or law enforcement unit holding him would be responsible for presenting him before the court.

He cautioned against setting a timetable for the extradition, saying the matter would still undergo court hearings and would depend on the RTC and the DOJ.

“As of now, there is no instruction to us from the DOJ except for the extradition warrant,” he said.

Asked about the extradition arrest warrant, Malacañang said it’s part of the procedure, even if Quiboloy is already behind bars.

“If it so happened that he wasn’t in custody, then he would need to be brought before the court,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a briefing yesterday.

Castro also said the timing of the proceedings and US President Donald Trump’s visit was just coincidence.

Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros welcomed the court’s move to process Quiboloy’s extradition, noting that he has been on the FBI’s most wanted list for over four years.

“The world is listening. Quiboloy can no longer escape accountability,” she said in a statement.

“This is good news for those who have waited so long for justice. Now, the process must move forward without delay,” she added.

As chairperson of the Senate committee on women, Hontiveros previously spearheaded a series of legislative inquiries into the systemic abuses allegedly committed within the KOJC, providing a platform for several female victim-survivors to testify against him.

“Quiboloy may have powerful friends, but the women who stood up against him had voices that could never be silenced. And we never abandoned them,” she noted.

Hontiveros stressed that the extradition process must proceed smoothly across jurisdictions.

“Justice knows no borders. No one is above the law, anywhere in the world. Not even Apollo Quiboloy. He may have evaded accountability for far too long. That ends now,” she said. — Mark Ernest Villeza, Neil Jayson Servallos, Helen Flores

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