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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Philippines, Sri Lanka conclude talks on mutual legal assistance, transfer of prisoners

Philippines, Sri Lanka conclude talks on mutual legal assistance, transfer of prisoners

Published Aug 23, 2024 02:56 am

The Philippines and Sri Lanka have concluded negotiations for the forging of the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAT) and Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TTSP).

In a statement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said the negotiations were conducted last Aug. 12 and 13.

Under the proposed TTSP, the DOJ said that “Filipino and Sri Lankan prisoners may be transferred to their respective countries to serve their remaining sentences."

“Transfer of sentenced persons allows citizens convicted of crimes in another country to serve their remaining sentence in their own countries,” it said.  

“This will facilitate their effective rehabilitation, being close to their families and friends and be with other inmates with whom they share the same language, culture, customs and religion,” it added. 

On the other hand, the DOJ explained the mutual legal assistance (MLA) is “the process by which a state conducting investigation or prosecution of criminal cases or related proceedings requests legal assistance from another state, the most common of which, includes obtaining evidence or taking voluntary statements from persons, confiscation or forfeiture of property or proceeds of crime.”

“MLA requests are key to obtaining evidence and confiscating illegal proceeds of crime located outside the state where the crime was committed,” it said.

The Philippine delegation during the negotiations was composed of officials of the DOJ and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and headed by DOJ Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan.

The other members of the Philippine delegation were DOJ Assistant Chief State Counsel Mildred Bernadette B. Alvor, and State Counsels Leilani R. Fajardo-Aspiras, Florina C. Agtarap, Don Rick C. Ventura, and Chaveli Joan O. Labrador-Batoon; and DFA officials Acting Director Sheila Mae A. Briones and lawyer Ameroden Daudey B. Tago of the Office of Treaties and Legal Affairs, and Assistant Director Bojer B. Capati of the Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The delegation from Sri Lanka was headed by Attorney General Parinda Ranashinghe who was accompanied by Assistant Secretary Piyumanthi Peiris of the Ministry of Justice, and Assistant Legal Adviser Sanjika Kammanankada of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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