The United States Department of State has submitted a formal request to the Philippine government seeking the extradition of Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, a religious leader and head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church. According to Philippine officials, the extradition request was transmitted in July and has been endorsed to the Department of Justice following receipt by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The charges against Quiboloy include child sex trafficking, fraud, and other serious offenses that resulted in his placement on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Quiboloy, age 76, founded the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in 1985 in Davao city in the southern Philippines. The organization claims a substantial membership base both within the Philippines and internationally, including in the United States. During the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, which began in June 2016, Quiboloy served as a spiritual adviser and was regarded as a significant political and religious figure in the country.
A Philippine court ordered Quiboloy’s arrest in 2024 on allegations of child sexual abuse and human trafficking. The Philippine Senate also issued an arrest order that year after he declined to appear at public hearings regarding the accusations. Quiboloy went into hiding but surrendered in September 2024 following a major police operation at his religious group’s compound that involved approximately 2,000 officers. He has remained in detention since that time.
Federal prosecutors in the United States announced criminal charges against Quiboloy in 2021. A grand jury indictment unsealed in November 2021 named him among nine individuals and included charges encompassing conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, fraud, money laundering, and various immigration-related offenses. Philippine authorities must approve the extradition request through their court system, and Philippine law generally requires that suspects complete domestic trials before extradition to foreign jurisdictions, though exceptions exist under the 1994 extradition treaty between the two nations. Quiboloy has denied all allegations against him.
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