De Lima belies Kirams' claim, says PHL has no extradition treaty with Malaysia

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has belied claims by relatives of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III that the government is working to extradite them to Malaysia, saying the Philippines does not have an extradition treaty with Malaysia.

"I don't know from whom the Kirams are getting their information,” De Lima said Tuesday, a day after Kiram's daughter, Princess Jacel Kiram, claimed that they had received information from sources "within the government" about plans to turn them in to the Malaysian government.

“There's no such plan to extradite them," De Lima said, adding Malaysian authorities have not made any request to have the Kirams extradited to Malaysia.

"And even if there's such a request, we cannot grant the same because it is not sanctioned under our laws," De Lima said.

According to De Lima, Presidential Decree 1069 or the Philippine Extradition Law allows extradition only "pursuant to a treaty."

"There's no extradition treaty between between the Philippines and Malaysia," she said.

While Malaysia and the Philippines do not have an extradition treaty, the two have a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) that could be invoked to allow the exchange of information between Malaysia and the Philippines to enforce their respective laws.

Some of Kiram's followers are currently facing criminal cases in Sabah for the incursion last February.

A Philippine claim for sovereignty over Sabah has lain dormant for decades, but Malaysia continues to pay a minimal yearly rent to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, who claim to be the descendants of the original Filipino sultan who had control over the territory for centuries.

President Benigno Aquino III asked for an investigation on the incursion, after expressing concerns that the move was part of efforts to sabotage the peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The government has yet to synthesize the respective reports of the National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, and the Philippine National Police on the matter. — Mark Merueñas/KBK, GMA News