By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said Friday the Philippines has clear legal basis to temporarily surrender Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy to the United States under the PH-US Extradition Treaty.
She cited Article 11 of the treaty, which allows a person facing prosecution or serving a sentence in the country to be surrendered for trial abroad, then returned once proceedings are concluded.
“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 (Even if he has cases here, he can still be brought to the United States to face charges there, and after trial, be returned to the Philippines to answer for crimes here),” she said in a statement.
Hontiveros said Quiboloy’s alleged victims in the US have waited too long for justice.
“Hindi rin tama na patagalin pa ang kanilang laban (It is not right to prolong their fight),” she said.
She also accused Quiboloy of using his influence to evade accountability, citing attempts to intimidate witnesses and avoid Senate hearings.
Allowing temporary surrender, she added, would ensure local cases continue while also aiding victims in the US.
“Nakakasiguro ang Pilipinas na hindi mawawala ang ating mga kaso, at natutulungan din natin ang mga biktima sa Amerika (The Philippines can ensure that our cases will not be lost, while also helping victims in the United States),” she said.
The US government formally requested Quiboloy’s extradition earlier this year in connection with a 2021 indictment filed in California, which includes charges of sex trafficking of minors, fraud, and bulk cash smuggling.
House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña, also urged the justice department to move quickly on the extradition request for Quiboloy, noting that delays would deny justice to victims.
“If such an extradition request exists, I strongly urge our government, especially the Department of Justice, to immediately begin the process for the extradition of Quiboloy, including requesting our local courts to immediately resolve the pending charges against him,” Cendaña said in a statement.
The serious charges filed against Quiboloy expose the breadth of his power and influence, he said, warning that his continued influence poses risks to witnesses and investigations.
“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. It is clear that true justice will evade his victims should he continue to remain in the Philippines,” he said.
Cendaña pointed to recent hearings led by Hontiveros, which revealed harrowing 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 said.
“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.” (With a report from Cielito M. Reganit/PNA)
