US seeks surrender of KOJC founder, two associates to face human trafficking, sex trafficking and other criminal charges
MANILA (November 12) — The United States has moved to bring Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy before American courts, filing an extradition petition in a Makati court to secure his surrender, along with two associates, over alleged sex trafficking, human trafficking and other crimes.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday that the US government’s petition against Quiboloy, Teresita Tolibas Dandan and Helen Panilag was filed on November 9, 2026, before the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC).
The case was raffled to Branch 145, presided over by Judge Karen Matti Sy.
The US seeks their extradition to face prosecution for alleged international human trafficking, sex trafficking, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling.
The DOJ said arrest warrants issued by a US court against the three respondents remain valid and enforceable.
The extradition petition is separate from the criminal cases Quiboloy faces in the Philippines. The Makati court must determine whether the US request meets the legal requirements for his surrender. His pending local cases may affect the timing of his transfer, although the extradition rules allow temporary surrender to the US even while Philippine proceedings remain unresolved.
Under the new Rules on Extradition Proceedings, the extradition court is to issue warrants of arrest against the persons sought for extradition, while the clerk of court issues the corresponding summons.
Quiboloy was indicted by a US federal grand jury in November 2021 over an alleged sex-trafficking operation that prosecutors said operated from 2002 to 2018.
According to the US indictment, female church members, some reportedly as young as 12, were recruited as Quiboloy’s personal assistants, known as pastorals. They were allegedly assigned household duties and required to provide sexual services during what prosecutors described as a system of “night duty.”
US prosecutors also accused Quiboloy and his associates of operating a labor-trafficking scheme involving church members allegedly brought to the United States through fraudulent visas and made to solicit donations.
Although the money was supposedly intended for charitable activities, prosecutors alleged that the collections were diverted to finance KOJC operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.
The indictment further included allegations of conspiracy, visa fraud and bulk cash smuggling. A federal arrest warrant was issued against Quiboloy on November 10, 2021, and he was subsequently placed on the FBI’s wanted list.
The extradition case now puts the Philippine judiciary at the center of determining whether the US request meets the country’s legal requirements.
For the alleged victims, particularly those identified in the US case as minors, the proceedings carry implications beyond the transfer of an accused person: they also concern the pursuit of accountability across national borders.
The allegations remain subject to judicial determination, and the filing of an extradition petition does not establish the respondents’ guilt.
