MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday said the government may finally file a petition before the courts next month to grant the United States government’s request to extradite Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KOJC) founder Apollo Carreon Quiboloy.
In a press briefing, Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan said delays were inevitable following the submission of new evidence, including documents from the U.S. government.
The U.S. officially requested Quiboloy's extradition last August to stand trial on federal charges along with his co-accused of alleged conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of children involving girls and young women, labor trafficking through fraudulent visas, sham marriage schemes and bulk cash smuggling.
"(The DOJ is) validating additional information that was relayed in the request from the United States," Chan said.
Chan said the evidence involved incidents that happened in the U.S., not the Philippines, which delayed verification.
"So, kwento nila ang binavalidate natin (it’s their stories that we validate). We cannot really just rely on what we see in the news,” Chan said. “So, we are totally relying on the narration of facts and the evidence submitted by the requesting country, in this case, the United States.”
He said the DOJ is nearing completion of its fact-checking, evaluation and validation of all submitted documents.
"So, around the end of November we can give you another clear categorical update on how we are ready to file the petition for extradition," Chan said.
"We have to cross-check, validate that information, and make sure that the necessary documents supporting those factual allegations are with us and submitted because kung walang yun (without it), it will weaken our petition in the first place,” he added.
Quiboloy was captured in September 2024 following a standoff at his bunker-compound in Davao City. (Benjamin Pulta/PNA)