THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is in the final stages of preparation for the filing of a petition for the extradition of detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Pastor Apollo Quiboloy to the United States.
‘Quiboloy… we’re in the final stages. We are just doing some legal scrubbing. We’re almost ready to file that petition,’ Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said during a press conference.
Quiboloy is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail as trial proceedings for the qualified human trafficking and child abuse and exploitation cases filed against him are ongoing.
The supposed extradition request stemmed from Quiboloy’s indictment by a California court in 2021 for allegedly conspiring to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion and sex trafficking of children.
In March 2024, Central District of California Judge Terry Hatter Jr. ordered the unsealing of the arrest warrants against Quiboloy.
The DOJ said the petition for Quiboloy’s extradition will be filed with a local court.
Under the Rules on Extradition Proceedings issued by the Supreme Court in 2025, an extradition may be postponed in order for the extraditee to face criminal prosecution or serve a sentence in the Philippines for an offense other than the one for which extradition is requested.
However, a temporary surrender of the extraditee may be granted by the court.
It said that the Justice secretary may file a motion in the court where the criminal case is pending to request the temporary surrender of the extraditee to the requesting state.
The DOJ earlier expressed confidence that the petition for extradition will be approved by the court.