US: Quiboloy arrest not related to Philippine elections

MANILA, Philippines — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s declaration of Apollo Quiboloy as a wanted suspected sex trafficker is not related to the upcoming elections in the Philippines, the United States embassy in Manila announced yesterday.

The Philippine government may opt to “temporarily surrender” Quiboloy if the United States seeks his extradition, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News/TV5 on Monday night, chief state counsel George Ortha II said the extradition treaty allows the Philippines to send Quiboloy to the US even if the rape cases filed against the pastor in Davao has yet to reach finality.

“We can ‘temporarily surrender,’ so parang ipapahiram natin. That’s a possibility,” Ortha said. “If there are pending cases in the Philippines, he might be needed for trial or assuming he would be convicted, he would have to serve his sentence here. So we cannot fully extradite him.”

Ortha was referring to Article 11 of the US extradition treaty with the Philippines in 1996. It requires the US government to return the involved individual to the Philippines once the proceedings in the foreign country have been concluded.

According to Ortha, there is a possibility for the US to seek the provisional arrest of Quiboloy, which can be done before the extradition request.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said the Philippines has not yet received a request from the US government for Quiboloy’s provisional arrest.

“As far as we know, no request has been filed yet either here or in Washington,” Meñez said.

A Filipino diplomat told The STAR that the extradition treaty does not provide for provisional arrest.

“That would be a violation of due process and Philippine criminal jurisdiction,” the diplomat said.

On Saturday, the FBI released the wanted posters of Quiboloy and two other officials of the religious sect Kingdom of Jesus Christ following their indictment in November 2021.

Quiboloy, a personal friend and spiritual adviser of President Duterte, was indicted for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion as well as sex trafficking of children and cash smuggling.

Any communication related to the case of Quiboloy, who is in the most wanted list of the FBI, should be coursed through diplomatic channels, Malacañang said yesterday.

“We will pass through the diplomatic channels. The DOJ has spoken about the issue,” acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said at a press briefing when asked whether it is Duterte’s obligation to report to the US embassy the whereabouts of Quiboloy.

Nograles echoed the statement of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra that the DOJ could issue an immigration lookout bulletin order against Quiboloy.

Quoting Guevarra, Nograles said the justice department has not received any official communication from the US to extradite Quiboloy.

“Extradition cannot be done motu propio (upon one’s initiative), especially if the subject is our own citizen,” Nograles said.

Quiboloy’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio questioned the timing of the FBI’s release of a “most wanted” poster on the religious leader, who described himself as the “Appointed Son of God.”

Topacio said the issue is being used to tarnish President Duterte’s reputation and undermine the vice presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

On Nov. 10, 2021, the California district court issued a federal warrant for Quiboloy’s arrest.

“The FBI’s release of a wanted poster for Quiboloy follows multiyear efforts by law enforcement,” Heather Fabrikant, spokesperson for the US embassy, said in a text message to The STAR. “It is not related to the Philippines’ presidential election campaign.”

Topacio said the timing may be a “distraction” against the Duterte administration as the May elections draw near, in which the US might be interfering. – Alexis Romero