MANILA, Philippines – The formal request for extradition to the United States of controversial Filipino televangelist Apollo Quiboloy is “forthcoming”, as the alleged child sex offender has been in the Federal Bueau of Investigation’s (FBI) most wanted list, according to Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez.
According to Romualdez, there is already “an existing request” and a formal note verbale by the U.S. State Department will be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“There is already an existing request and the formal one will set the ball rolling through a formal note verbale by the US State Department to be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Romualdez told reporters on the sidelines of a forum attended by foreign diplomats and analysts on Tuesday.
He also mentioned that he had been in close coordination with U.S. officials on the issue and has been relayed to him that the extradition request “will come”.
“It has been relayed to me. They informed me that there is a forthcoming formal request because for years he has been in the most wanted list of the FBI and now in the Interpol,” Romualdez said.
He added that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has also been informed of the request.
Last August 20, Romualdez confirmed to DZRH that the United States has already submitted its request for the extradition of Quiboloy, by saying that the extradition documents were already sent to the Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ).
He also mentioned that the “documents and pieces of evidences” in Quiboloy’s cases are already with the Justice Department since June.
A warrant was issued by the FBI against Quiboloy in 2021, after he was indicted for numerous crimes, particularly sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of children, fraud, and coercion.
Quiboloy is also accused of bringing church members to the United States with fraudulently obtained visas, and forcing such members to solicit donations, allegedly to finance church operations, as well as support its leaders “lavish lifestyles,” according to the FBI Most Wanted website.
He also allegedly recruited females to work as his personal assistants, called “pastorals”; even requiring them to have sex with him.
“Furthermore, it is alleged that females were recruited to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals,” for Quiboloy and that victims prepared his meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages and were required to have sex with Quiboloy in what the pastorals called “night duty,” the FBI website added.
At present, Quiboloy is detained in the Pasig City jail over local cases of alleged sexual and child abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines.
According to Romualdez, it will now depend on the Philippine government if it will suspend its trial, so as to let Quiboloy face the charges against him in the United States.
“It will be up to Secretary (Crispin) Remulla whether he will allow that,” he said.
According to the Philippines-U.S. extradition treaty, if the request for extradition is granted, "the authorities of the contracting parties shall agree on the time and place for the surrender of the person sought.”
