PHL team to fly to Malaysia for Amalilio extradition either in May, June

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said the government would finally be deploying either next month or in June the team of prosecutors who would negotiate the eventual handover of Manuel Amalilio, founder of the Aman Futures Group Philippines Inc. to Philippine authorities.

 

In an interview with reporters in Manila, De Lima said she has already received a go signal from the Department of Foreign Affairs to proceed with the plan to send the legal team. Included in the government team are Justice Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano and Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras.

 

"But we  have yet to set the exact date in the next several weeks siguro. Pero okay na," she said.

 

De Lima said the Justice Department would just wait for the upcoming May 5 general elections in Malaysia to finish before the team flies to Kuala Lumpur.

 

"I think it would be be better if we send the team after the general election in Malaysia," she said.

 

Last March, De Lima said the government temporarily held off sending the team of government lawyers to Malaysia due to the conflict created when a group of supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III sailed to the disputed region of Sabah to assert its historical claim over the territory.

 

A 17-day standoff then ensued, which eventually erupted into a firefight on March 1 and 2.

 

"It would be pointless that the Amalilio team will be sitting down with their counterparts (in Malaysia) to talk about his (Amalilio's) extradition," De Lima said at the time, admitting that she thinks "nothing positive" could come out under current circumstances between the Philippines and Malaysia.