MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Department of Justice is still reviewing the United States government’s formal request to extradite detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy, with officials saying the process must be completed carefully before the case can move to the courts.
The latest development confirms that the extradition request is not yet a final decision to send Quiboloy to the United States. Instead, the DOJ is examining the documents and determining whether the request complies with Philippine law and the Philippines-U.S. Extradition Treaty.
The Department of Foreign Affairs previously received the U.S. request and transmitted it to the DOJ for evaluation. The request was reportedly submitted by the United States in July and formally endorsed to Philippine justice authorities.
Why the review is taking time
The DOJ is dealing with a substantial amount of evidence and supporting paperwork.
Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan said the department received six batches of supporting documents for each of the three individuals named in the U.S. request: Quiboloy and Kingdom of Jesus Christ officials Teresita Tolibas Dandan and Helen Panilag.
Officials said the documents must be reviewed to ensure that the extradition request satisfies the requirements of Philippine law and the bilateral treaty with the United States.
Among the matters the DOJ must assess are the identity of the individuals being sought, the facts and circumstances of the alleged offenses, the applicable U.S. laws and penalties, and other treaty requirements.
The DOJ has also stressed that it does not want to sacrifice accuracy simply to speed up the process.
The U.S. case against Quiboloy
Quiboloy is wanted by U.S. authorities over allegations including sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling.
A U.S. federal grand jury indictment unsealed in 2021 included multiple charges involving alleged trafficking, fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa-related offenses. Quiboloy has denied wrongdoing and has maintained that the accusations against him are politically or religiously motivated.
Reuters reported that Quiboloy was placed on the FBI’s most-wanted list following the U.S. indictment.
But there is another legal hurdle: Quiboloy’s Philippine cases
The extradition request comes while Quiboloy remains detained in the Philippines and faces criminal proceedings here.
He is facing Philippine cases involving alleged human trafficking, child abuse and sexual abuse. He was arrested in September 2024 after authorities conducted a major operation at the KOJC compound in Davao City.
That creates a complicated legal situation.
According to reporting on the extradition process, Philippine authorities have options under the Philippines-U.S. Extradition Treaty. One possibility is to defer surrender until the domestic proceedings are resolved. Another is for the Philippine government to seek temporary surrender so Quiboloy could face proceedings in the United States before being returned to the Philippines for his local cases.
In other words, even if the DOJ ultimately supports extradition, Quiboloy’s departure for the United States would not necessarily happen immediately.
DOJ also addresses the death-penalty issue
Another major consideration is capital punishment.
The DOJ has said Quiboloy would not be subjected to the death penalty if he were extradited and convicted in the United States. Officials have identified protection against capital punishment as one of the issues that must be addressed during the extradition review.
The DOJ has also emphasized that the courts—not the executive branch alone—will ultimately determine whether the extradition requirements have been satisfied.
What happens next?
The immediate next step is the completion of the DOJ’s review.
If prosecutors determine that the U.S. request and supporting documents meet the requirements of the treaty and Philippine law, the matter can proceed to a Philippine Regional Trial Court for judicial determination. Reuters likewise reported that extradition is not automatic and requires assessment before a petition is filed in court.
The court will then determine whether the legal requirements for extradition have been met.
And even a favorable ruling would not necessarily end the legal battle. DOJ officials have said an extradition ruling can still be appealed.
For now, therefore, Quiboloy remains in Philippine custody while the government examines the U.S. request.
The bigger question is no longer whether Washington has formally asked for Quiboloy.
It has.
The question now is whether the Philippine justice system will find the request legally sufficient—and, if it does, how the competing U.S. and Philippine cases will be handled.
That decision could determine whether Quiboloy eventually faces the U.S. charges in an American courtroom, continues fighting his cases in the Philippines first, or ends up navigating both legal systems under the terms of the extradition treaty.
Quiboloy has denied the allegations against him. The charges described above are allegations, and he remains entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty in court.
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