Quiboloy must face his cases in PH first, before US – Marcos
DELIVER THIS ‘SON OF GOD’: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation includes Apollo Quiboloy, leader of the Davao-based religious sect Kingdom of Jesus Christ, on its most wanted list for a variety of offenses in the United States, including child sex trafficking. (FBI PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Apollo Quiboloy should first deal with cases filed against him in the Philippines before facing his charges in the United States, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday.
Government authorities have taken custody of Quiboloy and four of his subordinates since Sunday night, following their purported surrender to the military after a 24-hour ultimatum issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP), which has been trying to serve the standing warrants of arrest for the sect leader and his aides over child abuse and human trafficking charges.
On the sidelines of the Philippine Strategic Trade Management Summit in Taguig City, Marcos told reporters in an interview:
“For the moment hindi extradition ang tinitignan natin, ang tinitignan natin ay ‘yung mga kaso at mga complaint na pinila dito sa Pilipinas at ‘yon muna ang kailangan niyang harapin.”
(For the moment we are not looking at extradition, what we are looking at are the cases and complaints lined up here in the Philippines and that is what he has to deal with first.)
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Marcos also revealed that no extradition request for Quiboloy from the US has so far been received by the government.
“The extradition request is not yet there, besides, the judicial process that Apollo Quiboloy is going to have to go through now locally still has to be done, because what has been done is we have implemented and enforced an arrest warrant that has been issued by the court,” he explained.
According to Marcos, Quiboloy is “now in the court’s hands.”
Quiboloy was captured on Sunday, September 8, ending a 16-day search mounted by the PNP beginning on August 24 within the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City.
The sect leader and his subordinates are facing child abuse and human trafficking cases before the Davao City and Pasig City courts, respectively.
In the United States, Quiboloy is facing several criminal charges, including Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion, and Sex Trafficking of Children; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion; Conspiracy; and Bulk Cash Smuggling.
Quiboloy, who is former President Rodrigo Duterte’s spiritual adviser, was officially declared one of the most wanted suspected sex traffickers by the United States in 2022.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on January 31, 2022, published a wanted poster seeking information leading to his arrest.
