Hontiveros: Phl can legally surrender Quiboloy to US

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said Friday the Philippines has clear legal grounds to temporarily surrender Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy to the United States, where he faces serious criminal charges.

Citing Article 11 of the PH-US Extradition Treaty, Hontiveros explained that a person facing prosecution or serving a sentence in the country may be surrendered for trial abroad and later returned once proceedings there are concluded.

“Even if he has cases here, he can still be brought to the United States to face charges, then returned to the Philippines to answer for crimes here,” she said, stressing that Quiboloy’s alleged victims in the US have already “waited too long for justice.”

Hontiveros accused Quiboloy of using his political and religious influence to intimidate witnesses and evade accountability, adding that temporary surrender would ensure justice for victims in both countries.

The US government earlier filed a formal request for Quiboloy’s extradition in connection with a 2021 indictment in California, which includes charges of sex trafficking of minors, fraud, and bulk cash smuggling.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña also pressed the Department of Justice to act swiftly, warning that delays only deny justice to victims and allow Quiboloy’s influence to undermine investigations.

“By every account, Quiboloy is a pedophile who weaponized his authority to prey on the vulnerable. The US indictments echo these accounts and present a chilling portrait of how he twisted faith and power to commit unspeakable crimes,” Cendaña said, adding: “No man, not even one claiming to be a son of God, is above the law.”