Marcos to Decide on Quiboloy's Extradition to US

The ultimate decision on whether Pastor Apollo Quiboloy will be extradited to the United States rests with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to international law experts. In a report by "24 Oras," international law expert Atty. Ralph Sarmiento explained that extradition is both a judicial and diplomatic matter. "The court’s part is to determine whether or not he is extraditable… the implementation of that, it will be subject to the president, pursuant to his prerogatives and the conduct of foreign relations," Sarmiento said. According to the rules set by the Supreme Court, the act of extraditing could only begin once the Justice Secretary or an official designated counsel files a verified petition before the extradition court. The subject of the extradition request will be detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) while court proceedings take place. Should a witness be presented, the court must render a decision within 30 calendar days after the last testimony is given. In case no witnesses are presented, the extradition court should render judgment within 30 days from receipt of the last pleading. The SC stated that the decision may be appealed at the Court of Appeals (CA), and the CA’s judgment is final. If the extraditee is also facing criminal charges in the Philippines for an offense other than what the extradition is about, execution of the extradition request could be postponed—unless the local court handling the case allows the temporary surrender of the extraditee to the requesting state. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed it has received the extradition request and forwarded it to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Meanwhile, Quiboloy’s counsel, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, believes the extradition will not push through due to pending local cases against the pastor. Source: GMA News Philippines