MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States has asked the Philippine government to extradite a Filipino church leader, who was once an influential adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte, to face trial on charges including child sex trafficking and fraud that landed him on the FBI’s most wanted list, two Philippine officials said Thursday.
The U.S. request for Apollo Carreon Quiboloy's extradition was sent to the Department of Justice in Manila through the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department in July.
The request needs the approval of two Philippine courts, which have been trying the detained former televangelist for human trafficking and child abuse charges, according to two high-ranking officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to publicly discuss the issues.
The U.S. Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Criminal suspects in the Philippines must finish their trials and serve their sentences if convicted prior to extradition. Philippine justice officials, however, can ask a domestic court to allow the temporary surrender of a suspect to a foreign court to face trial prior to the resolution of their Philippine cases under the 1994 extradition treaty of Washington and Manila.
Quiboloy, 76, leads the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church, which was founded in 1985 in southern Davao city and claims to have a wide following in the Philippines and abroad, including in the U.S.
In his heyday, Quiboloy was one of the most influential religious leaders in the Philippines and regarded as a political kingmaker. He served as spiritual adviser to the equally controversial Duterte, who took office in June 2016.
Duterte was arrested in Manila last year under a warrant from the International Criminal Court and has since been detained in the Netherlands, where he will face trial for alleged crimes against humanity. The charges stem from the killings of large numbers of mostly poor drug suspects under his anti-drugs crackdowns, which alarmed Western governments and rights groups.
Quiboloy claims to be “the appointed son of God” and has made outrageous claims that sparked questions about his character but endeared him to his followers. He once claimed to have stopped a major earthquake from hitting the southern Philippines.
In 2024, Quiboloy went into hiding after a Philippine court ordered his arrest along with several others for alleged child and sexual abuse and human trafficking, police said. The Philippine Senate separately ordered Quiboloy’s arrest at the time for refusing to appear in public hearings about his alleged crimes.
The preacher denied the allegations, saying they were fabricated by critics and former members who were removed from his religious group.
Quiboloy and four others facing accusations surrendered in September 2024 after about 2,000 police raided a 30-hectare (75-acre) compound of his religious group, which included a cathedral, stadium, hangar and taxiway leading to Davao's international airport. He has been jailed since then.
U.S. federal prosecutors in 2021 separately announced an indictment of Quiboloy for allegedly having sex with women and underage girls who faced threats of abuse and “eternal damnation” unless they catered to the self-proclaimed “son of God.”
Quiboloy was among nine people named in a superseding indictment returned by a U.S. federal grand jury and unsealed in November 2021. It contained a raft of charges including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, marriage fraud, money laundering, cash smuggling and visa fraud.
After that indictment he was placed on the list of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives.
FILE - Apollo Quiboloy, a detained Filipino preacher accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking in the Philippines and similar charges in the United States, listens as he attends a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila,File)
FILE - Apollo Quiboloy takes his oath as he attends a hearing at the Philippine Senate on Oct. 23, 2024, in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
FIFA said Wednesday it had apologized for errors made over Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and that senior staff in attendance at a crisis meeting in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.
World soccer's governing body attempted to present a unified front amid the turbulence caused by Infantino's controversial plans, with calls for him to step down.
In a statement, FIFA said Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and members of the management board in attendance in Rabat had given their support to the embattled president.
Referring to the plans to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), the statement said “mistakes made were acknowledged” and that the “process should have been handled differently."
FIFA said a letter had been sent to FIFA Council and member associations apologizing for errors and committed to “ensure they do not happen again.”
Grafström’s stated support was notable after he distanced himself from Infantino’s now abandoned plans in an email to all FIFA staff calling the last week a “sad and reproachable series of events.”
FIFA said Infantino had also reaffirmed his support for his secretary general.
World soccer’s governing body said the FFE proposal was “now off the table.”
“There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience,” it said.
Earlier Wednesday, the association of European soccer leagues — including the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A — called for governance reform of FIFA. It described the FFE proposal as “dangerous” and said it pointed to deeper concerns about how the governing body operates.
It said it raised “serious questions about FIFA’s governance, internal culture and decision-making.”
“Now more than ever, FIFA requires governance reform that ensures that all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in decisions that shape the future of our game.”
In the statement, European Leagues hit out at the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and said “FIFA must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions.”
It said that until there was reform it would reject the “expansion or creation” of FIFA competitions.
Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down, saying he had “debased the office.”
FIFA denied a British media report suggesting Infantino, in seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the hosting of the final at the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the main co-hosts for the 2030 edition. Morocco hopes to host the final at the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca; Spain has at least two contenders — the home stadiums of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
A FIFA spokesperson said it’s “false and misleading to claim the FIFA president has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”
Also Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence in Infantino. He said the FIFA president committed a “fatal” governance failure by not consulting senior advisers.
“Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr. Infantino,” said Carney, who had appeared alongside Infantino at several events during the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
A tumultuous week have raised questions about Infantino’s presidency of FIFA ahead of elections in March.
European soccer’s governing body UEFA has applied the most intense pressure by voting to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pressed ahead with FFE.
Even after Infantino’s climbdown UEFA said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership — possibly paving the way for a challenge to his presidency. The governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (CONCACAF) also said FIFA leadership had “stopped putting football first.”
There have also been signs of division within the organization with chief of global football development Arsène Wenger distancing himself from the FFE plans. Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by the president’s lack of openness.
Infantino is aiming to win a fourth and final term in office at the March elections.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FIFA president Gianni Infantino attends a Women's AFCON 2026 soccer match between Malawi and Zambia, in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino leaves after attending a Women AFCON 2026 soccer match between Malawi and Zambia, in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)
FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino is silhouetted as he walks past the World Cup trophy after addressing the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
A view of building where FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds a senior leadership meeting in Sale, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Str)
A vehicle carrying FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives for a senior leadership meeting in Sale, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)
FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino looks on during the women's Premier League match between Al Ahli FC and Al Ittihad FC at the Al- Ahli Club stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Dec 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
