MANILA – Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy is set to file libel and cyberlibel complaints against Senator Risa Hontiveros and ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña on Thursday over their public statements linking him to allegations of sexual abuse, child abuse and human trafficking.

The complaints will be filed at the Pasig Prosecutor’s Office at 11 a.m. by Quiboloy’s legal team led by Atty. Ferdinand S. Topacio, according to a media advisory issued.

The filing will take place at the Justice Hall Building within the Pasig City Hall Compound along Caruncho Avenue in Pasig City.

Quiboloy’s lawyers have requested media coverage of the filing.

The advisory did not identify the specific statements or publications that Quiboloy claims constitute libel or cyberlibel, nor did it state the amount of damages being sought.

The planned complaints follow previous public exchanges between Quiboloy’s camp and the lawmakers concerning his legal troubles and possible extradition.

In August, lawyer Israelito Torreon, representing Quiboloy’s legal camp, rebuked Hontiveros over remarks regarding the pastor’s possible extradition, emphasizing that “Pastor ACQ has not been convicted of human trafficking.”

Hontiveros previously led the Senate investigation into allegations of sexual abuse, human trafficking and other abuses involving Quiboloy and the KOJC.

During an October 2024 hearing, alleged victims publicly identified themselves and confronted Quiboloy, who denied the accusations. Former KOJC members also testified about alleged sexual abuse, human trafficking, forced labor and intimidation, which Quiboloy likewise denied.

De Lima has publicly supported efforts to hold Quiboloy accountable, while Cendaña has repeatedly expressed support for the alleged victims and called for the pastor to face US authorities.

Cendaña on Wednesday said he would not retract his statements despite the planned legal action.

“I’d rather be libelous than be a sex trafficker. Thank God, I’m not any of them,” Cendaña said.

He said he believed the allegations that Quiboloy was a “child molester, pedophile, and human trafficker,” and again called for his extradition to the United States.

Cendaña also downplayed the significance of the planned complaints compared with the intimidation and abuse allegedly experienced by Quiboloy’s accusers and their families.

“My advice to Quiboloy is for him to devote his time and energy to face his victims in a US court,” he said.

The United States indicted Quiboloy in 2021 on federal charges related to sex trafficking. He has denied the allegations.

He is also facing criminal proceedings in the Philippines and has been detained since his arrest in September 2024.

The Department of Justice has said it is reviewing the US request for his extradition under the Philippines-US extradition treaty and applicable Philippine law.