Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday that the government expects the US to file an extradition request for pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who is facing charges of child sexual abuse and human trafficking, “very soon”.

“Well, he'll be charged and we expect the US to file an extradition request very soon. So, remember, we have a treaty with the US and it's part of the law of the land,” Remulla told reporters.

“We will have to play it out well. We have to study it properly so that we know what to do. I'll be talking to the Secretary (of Foreign Affairs Enrique Mallari) tomorrow afternoon about this matter,” he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said there is no extradition request from the US. But he added that the priority is making Quiboloy facing the charges against him in local courts.

“ We are looking at the cases pending here in the Philippines and he needs to face them first,” he added.

Quiboloy is facing almost the same cases in the US. These were filed against him in 2021 in California.

Remulla agreed that Quibiloy ''should face the music here, especially since he made it hard for the police to find him.''

After initially failing to serve the warrant from two courts against Quiboloy, the pastor gave himself up after more than two weeks to authorities in Davao City.

That was going to happen anyway. He was going to surrender anyway and he was going to be arrested eventually,” Remulla said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS