No plan to extradite Kiram, family to Malaysia

MANILA, Philippines - The government has no plans of extraditing Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, his family and their supporters to Malaysia supposedly to face charges over the incursion in Sabah by the sultanate’s army last February, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.

De Lima said the reported claim of the Kirams that President Aquino is bent on delivering them and their supporters to Malaysia was baseless and impossible.

“I don’t know from whom the Kirams are getting their information. There’s no such plan to extradite them,” she said, noting that Malaysia has not made any extradition request.

“And even if there’s such a request, we cannot grant the same because it is not sanctioned under our laws. There’s no extradition treaty between the Philippines and Malaysia,” De Lima said.

She cited Presidential Decree 1069 or the Philippine Extradition Law, which only allows extradition pursuant to a treaty.

The Philippines and Malaysia have an existing mutual legal assistance treaty that could be invoked in the resolution of cases between the two countries.

De Lima issued the statement after Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultanate, claimed on Monday that a Palace source told them that the government is bent on extraditing the Kirams and their supporters despite the absence of an extradition treaty between the Philippines and Malaysia.