The Department of Justice has received a formal extradition request from the United States for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and two other respondents, Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan confirmed Thursday.
Chan said the DOJ received the documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs on Aug. 7 and is now reviewing the submissions to determine whether they comply with the Philippine-US extradition treaty and Philippine extradition law.
“From the Office of the Chief State Counsel, I would like to confirm that our office has received already the formal request for extradition from the United States of America for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and two other respondents,” Chan said.
“The documents are with us. We are reviewing the submissions made by the United States government to ensure its compliance with the Philippine-US extradition treaty and the Philippine extradition law,” he added.
Chan said the extradition request will eventually be filed before a regional trial court, which will determine whether the respondents are extraditable under the treaty.
He said the DOJ has yet to set a specific timetable for filing the case because the documents submitted by the U.S. are voluminous.
“Each respondent would have six batches of envelopes” containing supporting documents, Chan said, adding that prosecutors need to carefully review each submission.
“We are working on the evaluation as fast as we can, at the same time ensuring that we are not skipping or cutting corners here,” Chan said.
He said the DOJ recognizes the national interest involved and will seek to expedite its action while ensuring compliance with Philippine law.
Chan also stressed the importance of observing the extradition treaty between the Philippines and the United States.
The treaty is a formal agreement between the two countries, he said, adding that the Philippines must demonstrate that it is serious about fulfilling its treaty obligations.
Chan, however, clarified that compliance with the treaty does not mean extradition is automatic.
“We have to also show to our treaty partners that we are serious in complying with our treaty obligations and that we understand the need for justice to be served but at the same time we have to balance it also with the interest of the Philippines,” he said.
Quiboloy was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in California in November 2021 on charges including sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of children, and bulk cash smuggling.
He is currently detained in the Philippines and is facing separate criminal proceedings in local courts involving allegations of child abuse and human trafficking.
