A Philippine court has ordered the arrest of jailed celebrity preacher Apollo Quiboloy, Al Jazeera reported. The United States wants him on child sex trafficking charges. The Justice Department said the order is a step towards his possible extradition.
Justice Department spokesman Polo Martinez told AFP on Saturday that the Makati Regional Trial Court issued the warrant and a hold-departure order on Thursday. The court found probable cause that Quiboloy committed the offences charged. The government filed its petition on Monday, three months after Washington formally requested his extradition in August. Under Philippine law, the court must now hold hearings before deciding whether to hand him over.
The court issued the same orders against two co-accused, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag. Both are officers of Quiboloy's Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) sect. Local media reported that the two women are still at large. The same reports said the FBI identified Dandan as the "international administrator" of a fake charity operation and Panilag as a former top church administrator in the US.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro spoke on behalf of the Office of the President. She denied that the warrant was timed to coincide with US President Donald Trump's visit to Manila on November 17 for the ASEAN summit. "No, it was probably just a coincidence," she said, according to the Philippines News Agency.
Quiboloy calls himself the "appointed son of God". AFP reported that he is held without bail while on trial for human trafficking in Pasig, a charge that carries life in prison if he is convicted. Local media said he also faces a child abuse trial in Quezon City. He has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the Philippine charges.
A US grand jury indicted Quiboloy in 2021 for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of children and bulk cash smuggling, AFP reported. After his 2024 arrest, police said alleged victims were told they were having sex with the "spirit of God". They were allegedly warned that "angels of death" would hunt them down if they told anyone. The church said at the time that members had "freedom of choice".
The sect claims millions of followers and owns a television network. Quiboloy is a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte. He ran for the Senate from prison last year and received 5.6 million votes but lost, AFP reported.