MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said on Friday that it was set to file before a local court a petition for the extradition of alleged sexual offender and religious sect founder Apollo Quiboloy to the United States.
Vida said that the agency was in the final stages of preparation for the filing of the petition except for some “legal scrubbing.”
DOJ insiders told The Manila Times that the department would need first to meticulously review the documents before they were finalized and set for filing in court.
“We (DOJ) are just doing some legal scrubbing and we are in the final stages,” said Vida as he quickly added that “it was almost ready to file the extradition petition.”
The DOJ chief said that it just wanted to ensure that the petition would be in accordance with the Philippines’ 1994 extradition treaty with the United States, as well as the latest Supreme Court ruling that seeks to streamline extradition proceedings when these reach courts.
Based on the high court’s new rules, appeals can be elevated only up to the level of the Court of Appeals, which would have only 90 days to come up with a decision before it is deemed final and immediately executory.
Presently detained at the Pasig City jail for alleged qualified human trafficking and child abuse and exploitation, Quiboloy has been sought by a California court for allegedly conspiring to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion and sex trafficking of children.
He is also facing a separate sexual abuse and maltreatment case before a Quezon City trial court.
Vida reiterated that the petition for Quiboloy’s extradition would be filed before a local court.
An extradition may be deferred to allow the criminal prosecution of the extraditee to push through or serve a sentence in the country for an offense other than the one for which extradition is requested.
Nevertheless, the justice department said that a temporary surrender of the extraditee may be granted but only after filing a motion in the court where the criminal case is pending.
The DOJ had previously expressed confidence that the local court would approve the petition.
