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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House panel to continue extradition law inquiry even if there's no US request fo Quiboloy

House panel to continue extradition law inquiry even if there's no US request fo Quiboloy

Published Sep 4, 2025 04:29 pm

At A Glance

  • The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has told the House Justice Committee that it has not received any extradition request from the United States (US) for detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church founder, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.


The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has told the House Justice Committee that it has not received any extradition request from the United States (US) for detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church founder, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
This, even as the justice panel chaired by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro pressed ahead with a review of the country’s decades-old extradition law on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
“As of today, September 3, 2025, the [DFA] has not received any request from the government of the United States of America for the extradition of Mr. Apollo Quiboloy,” DFA Assistant Secretary Raquel Solano of the Office of American Affairs said during the hearing.
Luistro acknowledged the DFA’s report but stressed that the House inquiry was not dependent on the status of Quiboloy’s case.
“Whether or not a request has been actually received by the DFA with respect to the extradition of Mr. Quiboloy, the Committee on Justice shall proceed with its more appropriate inquiry in aid of legislation to respond to its legislative mandate,” said the lawyer-legislator.
The panel members, she said, had already identified “a number of insufficiencies and even ambiguities” in existing extradition laws and the 1994 Philippines-US Extradition Treaty.
The committee is conducting a motu proprio inquiry into Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1069, or the Philippine Extradition Law of 1977, which has remained largely unchanged for nearly five decades.
Lawmakers said the review aims to modernize the framework amid rising cross-border crimes and high-profile international cases.
The justice panel had earlied raised concerns that outdated provisions could hamper the country’s ability to cooperate with allies, enforce treaty obligations, and at the same time safeguard the rights of individuals facing extradition proceedings.
Quiboloy, a self-proclaimed “Appointed Son of God” and longtime ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, faces multiple charges in the US, including sex trafficking, bulk cash smuggling and immigration fraud.
USxfederal prosecutors accuse him and his associates of exploiting church members, including minors, in a years-long scheme.
In the Philippines, he also faces human trafficking and child abuse complaints filed by former followers. His legal troubles have drawn international attention and placed renewed focus on the mechanisms of extradition between Manila and Washington.
While the DFA confirmed that no formal US extradition request has been received, lawmakers said the absence of a request does not diminish the urgency of updating the law.
“The issue with respect to [Quiboloy] is just incidental. The objective of the Committee on Justice is to respond to our legislative mandate, and that is why the committee decided to conduct the instant inquiry in aid of legislation,” Luistro pointed out.
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