Senator Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday sponsored a resolution seeking the Senate’s concurrence on the treaty between the Philippines and the United Kingdom on the transfer of sentenced persons.
Tulfo brought proposed Senate Resolution No. 315 to the plenary exactly five days after it was heard by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which he currently chairs.
“Human rights and the dignity of every person remain, whether they are inside or outside the prison bars,” Tulfo underscored in his sponsorship speech.
“Under our Constitution, the government’s duty of care for a Filipino does not end simply because he or she made a mistake in another country,” he added.
Tulfo explained that the pact is not a “get out of jail free” card, but only an agreement for the transfer of the venue where the Filipino will serve his sentence.
“The core of this Treaty is restorative justice. When a Filipino is imprisoned in a foreign land like the United Kingdom, they face more than just the loss of liberty. Aside from prison, there are also the walls of language and the distance from family. A double hardship,” the senator explained.
Once the treaty becomes effective, sentenced Filipinos in UK may be transferred upon securing the consent of both the British and Philippine governments, including the prisoner involved.
The sentence imposed in the UK will continue to be carried out in the Philippines in respect to the judicial sovereignty of UK, with the Department of Justice in charge of the oversight of the safe and orderly transfer of custody.
