Senator Risa Hontiveros asserted on Friday that the Philippines has a clear legal basis to extradite Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), to the United States in response to the United States (U.S.) government's extradition request.
Hontiveros, who led the Senate investigation into the allegations against Quiboloy, cited Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Philippines–United States Extradition Treaty, explaining that even though Quiboloy is facing charges in the Philippines, the treaty allows for his temporary extradition to the US to stand trial for the cases filed there. Once proceedings conclude, he may then be returned to the Philippines to face his pending cases locally.
“Quiboloy has victims in the United States who have waited too long for justice. Hindi rin tama na patagalin pa ang kanilang laban. If we continue to delay, we are denying them their right to be heard,” Hontiveros said, emphasizing that the Pastor also has victims in the U.S. who have long been waiting for justice.
“Dito sa Pilipinas, malinaw na sinusubukan niyang gamitin ang kanyang yaman at impluwensya para iwasan ang pananagutan,” she added, urging authorities to pursue legal action.
Hontiveros also stressed that the fugitive pastor is using his followers to intimidate witnesses and deliberately avoiding accountability by setting unreasonable conditions just to skip the Senate hearing.
Meanwhile, it may be recalled that the US sought the extradition of Quiboloy, who is also wanted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for child sex trafficking, fraud and coercion, and bulk cash smuggling, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
