US justice department won’t comment on extradition

MANILA, Philippines — The United States Department of Justice has declined to comment on a possible request for extradition of detained pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who is wanted in the US for alleged sex crimes and money laundering.

“As a matter of policy, the US Department of Justice generally does not comment on extradition-related matters until a defendant is in the United States,” US DOJ spokesperson and senior communications adviser for international law Nicole Navas Oxman said yesterday in response to an inquiry from The STAR.

The agency instead referred The STAR to previous information released about the case, including the 2021 indictment of Quiboloy, spiritual adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte and founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Quiboloy, who was taken into custody by Philippine authorities on Sunday, is facing multiple charges before a federal court in California.

He was charged for his “alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”

“Members who proved successful at soliciting for the church allegedly were forced to enter into sham marriages or obtain fraudulent student visas to continue soliciting in the United States year-round,” read Quiboloy’s wanted poster released by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 2021, a federal grand jury indicted the religious leader for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and bulk cash smuggling.

He is also facing charges of human trafficking before a Pasig City regional trial court and child and sexual abuse before a Quezon City regional trial court.

His camp has repeatedly denied the allegations.

President Marcos on Monday said there is no extradition request yet from the US, but added that Quiboloy would first have to undergo trial for his cases in the Philippines before any extradition request is granted.

An extradition is the transfer of one individual from one jurisdiction to another for purposes of