MANILA - Philippine officials confirmed on Thursday that the United States has submitted a formal extradition request for Apollo Quiboloy, the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) and a self-described "Appointed Son of God." U.S. authorities have placed Quiboloy on the FBI's "most wanted" list and charged him in the United States with operating a sex-trafficking operation that allegedly involved threatening young victims with "eternal damnation" and physical abuse.
Philippine ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez and the country’s foreign ministry said the extradition paperwork has been forwarded to the Philippine Department of Justice. Quiboloy has denied the accusations brought against him in the United States.
Procedural steps and responses
Authorities emphasized that extradition is not immediate. The Philippine justice ministry must first evaluate the U.S. submission. Only after that assessment would the justice ministry file a petition with a Philippine court, which would then review the merits of the request under domestic law. Quiboloy’s legal team said they were not in a position to comment on the extradition request because they had not yet received any formal notice.
Domestic charges and recent arrest
Quiboloy is also facing multiple criminal charges in the Philippines, including allegations of sexually abusing a child. Philippine authorities arrested him in September 2024 at the KOJC’s 30-hectare compound in the southern city of Davao. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in relation to those charges.
Political and social context
Quiboloy is a high-profile religious figure in the Philippines, followed by millions, and has maintained a longstanding personal relationship with former President Rodrigo Duterte. The article notes that church leaders in the Philippines exert significant influence within the country’s political environment.
At this stage, the extradition request from the United States marks a formal step in a complex legal process that will require judicial review in the Philippines before any transfer of custody could occur. Several legal and procedural stages remain before the extradition matter is finally resolved.