The U.S. government has formally requested that the Philippine government extradite Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church, to face trial on multiple charges including child sex trafficking and fraud. Philippine officials confirmed that the Department of Foreign Affairs received the extradition request in July and forwarded it to the Department of Justice.
Quiboloy, 76, founded the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in 1985 in Davao City in the southern Philippines. The church claims a substantial following domestically and internationally, particularly in the United States. During his period of greatest influence, Quiboloy served as a spiritual adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office in June 2016, and was regarded as a significant political figure in the Philippines.
Under Philippine law, criminal suspects must generally complete their domestic trials and serve any resulting sentences before extradition. However, justice officials may petition domestic courts to allow temporary surrender to a foreign court prior to the conclusion of Philippine proceedings under the 1994 extradition treaty between the two nations. Quiboloy currently faces human trafficking and child abuse charges in Philippine courts.
Federal prosecutors in the United States filed an indictment against Quiboloy in 2021, charging him with sexual conduct with women and underage girls who allegedly faced threats of abuse and spiritual consequences if they did not comply with his requests. A superseding indictment unsealed in November 2021 expanded the charges to include conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, fraud, coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling, and visa fraud. Following the federal indictment, Quiboloy was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Quiboloy went into hiding in 2024 after a Philippine court ordered his arrest. He was apprehended in September 2024 following a raid involving approximately 2,000 police officers on a 30-hectare compound belonging to his religious organization. He has remained in custody since that time. Quiboloy has denied all allegations, characterizing them as fabrications by critics and former members.
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