Lawyer Israelito Torreon called on the Marcos administration to let Philippine courts decide on Filipino religious leader Apollo Quiboloy criminal case before rendering a decision on the United States’ request for his extradition.

Torreon, who led Quiboloy’s legal team, said under the extradition treaty between the two countries, it is within the discretion of the requested state (Philippines) whether to allow Pastor ACQ to be extradited to the US whether the case against him is pending or has already been decided against him.

He added we can only manifest our sincerest hope that the Philippine Government would exercise its sovereign option to allow the Philippine courts to fully exercise its jurisdiction over Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy’s case before it will decide to transfer Pastor ACQ to the US.

Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed that the US request to extradite Quiboloy were transmitted to the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) last June.

Romualdez said US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson is set tomeet with Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla to discuss the matter.

But, Torreon said they have yet to receive the documents related to the extradition request by the US.

He said, the Quiboloy camp “respect[s] the prerogative” of the United States to make such a move in line with its extradition treaty with the Philippines.

“We are likewise cognizant that under Article 9 of the Treaty, the US can even request for the provisional arrest of the subject, however, we feel that such request for provisional arrest may not be necessary as of the moment,” Torreon said.

He pointed out that “the ‘urgency’ requirement under that section is absent in this case as Pastor Quiboloy is in jail awaiting resolution of his motion for reconsideration from the denial of his petition for bail.”

Last July, the Pasig Regional Trial Court-Branch 159 denied petitions for bail by Quiboloy and his co-accused in relation to his case for qualified trafficking for sexual abuse and labor exploitation.

Quiboloy is facing a non-bailable qualified human trafficking charge under Section 4(a) of Republic Act No. 9208, as amended, with a Pasig court. likewise, he is also facing charges under Section 5(b) and Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act with a Quezon City court.

Quiboloy, indicted by a US federal grand jury in 2021, landed on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list.

In America, he is facing charges for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, sex trafficking of children, and bulk cash smuggling.

He is currently detained at the Pasig City jail.