Quiboloy extradition case filed in Makati Court; US seeks his surrender
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MANILA, Philippines — The United States has formally moved to bring Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy to American courts, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirming that an extradition petition against the fugitive preacher and two co-respondents was filed before a Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC)..The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday said the U.S. government's extradition request against Quiboloy, Teresita Tolibas Dandan and Helen Panilag was filed on November 9, 2026, before the Makati RTC and raffled to Branch 145, presided over by Judge Karen Matti Sy.The petition seeks their extradition to the United States to face prosecution for alleged international human trafficking, sex trafficking, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling.The DOJ said arrest warrants issued by a U.S. court against the three respondents remain valid and enforceable.The filing brings the U.S. government's effort to prosecute Quiboloy and his co-respondents into a formal extradition proceeding in the Philippines.Under the new Rules on Extradition Proceedings, the extradition court is to issue a warrant of arrest against the persons sought for extradition, while the clerk of court is to issue the corresponding summons.The issuance of an extradition petition does not automatically mean Quiboloy will be sent to the United States. The Philippine court must still determine whether the legal requirements for extradition have been met.His ongoing Philippine cases also raise questions about the timing of any possible surrender. Under the applicable extradition rules, temporary surrender may be considered even while local criminal proceedings remain pending.Quiboloy, founder of the KOJC, was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in November 2021 over an alleged sex-trafficking operation that prosecutors said ran from 2002 to 2018.According to the U.S. indictment, female church members, some as young as 12, were recruited to serve as Quiboloy's personal assistants, known as pastorals. They were allegedly required to perform household duties and provide sexual services during what the victims described as "night duty."Prosecutors also accused Quiboloy and his associates of running a labor-trafficking scheme in which church members were allegedly brought to the United States using fraudulent visas and forced to solicit donations. The money was supposedly intended for charitable work but allegedly diverted to finance KOJC operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.The U.S. indictment also included allegations of conspiracy, visa fraud and bulk cash smuggling. Quiboloy was placed on the FBI's wanted list, with a federal arrest warrant issued on November 10, 2021
Read the full story at The Manila Times.
