The Department of Justice (DOJ) can issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder and Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy “if there is a need to do so.”
With ILBO, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) will monitor closely Quiboloy’s travel outside the country using the airports or seaports.
“We can issue an ILBO motu proprio” (on one’s own initiative). We’ll play it by ear as we examine the evidence before us and as outside events unfold,” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Monday morning, Feb. 7.
Quiboloy and two other members of KOJC have been indicted in the Unites States and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released “wanted” posters on the religious leader.
A federal warrant was issued against Quiboloy in the US on Nov. 10, 2021 over his grand jury indictment before the US District Court for the Central District of California, Santa Ana, California “for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.”
In the Philippines, the complaint of alleged rape and child abuse against Quiboloy in 2020 had been dismissed by the Davao City prosecutor’s office.
But the complainant elevated the prosecutor’s resolution of dismissal before the Department of Justice (DOJ) which is still pending.
“The DOJ, upon application by the complainant-appellant, may issue an ILBO (against Quiboloy) in the meantime,” Guevarra said.
“Until the DOJ finds sufficient reason to reverse the finding of the city prosecutor, it has no basis to apply for a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO),” he explained.
An ILBO is different from a hold departure order (HDO) and PHDO that are issued by the courts to prevent a person from leaving the country.
An HDO is only issued when charges have been filed against a person in court, while, a PHDO is issued at the request of prosecutors due to ongoing preliminary investigation of a complaint against a person.
Last Friday, Guevarra said:
“We have not received any official communication from the US government. Extradition cannot be done motu proprio (on one’s own initiative), especially if the subject is our own citizen. Any communication will be coursed through diplomatic channels.”
Explaining the extradition process, Guevarra said:
“The process is governed by the Phil-US extradition treaty. The US State Department makes the extradition request. Our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) checks the sufficiency of the request; if sufficient, the DFA endorses it to the DOJ (Department of Justice).
“We (DOJ) then file a petition for extradition with the proper RTC (regional trial court) on behalf of the US government.
“The rest of our judicial process, including appeals, follows. In case the issuance of a warrant of arrest becomes necessary, the subject may post bail for his provisional liberty.
“Extradition is supposed to be a summary proceeding; we’re not supposed to be trying the US criminal charges here. But we have had cases where the process reached the Supreme Court, but were ultimately implemented.”
On the issuance of ILBO, PHDO or HDO, Guevarra said: “We’ll study the legal basis for such an action in the absence of any official request or communication from the US side.”
Quiboloy’s lawyers had said that the pastor with abide with the decision of the Phillipine court if and when an extradition request is done by the US government.