US marshals in RP to fetch ex-governor

Two US marshals arrived in the country Monday night to escort former Quezon province governor Eduardo Rodriguez on his voluntary extradition to the US to face charges of insurance fraud.

Rodriguez and the US marshals will depart for the US at 10:30 tonight on a direct Philippine Air Lines flight from Manila to Los Angeles, California, according to Jun de Castro, executive officer of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) International Police (Interpol) division.

De Castro said he and NBI-Interpol chief Ricardo Diaz will meet with the US marshals to finalize other details of Rodriguez’s departure.

NBI agents will turn Rodriguez over to the US marshals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at least one hour before the departure.

"Respondent (Rodriguez) shall be treated with dignity and respect," said Jeffrey Cole, attaché of the US Department of Justice to the Philippines, during an earlier hearing at the sala of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 17 Judge Eduardo Peralta Jr.

Cole added that Rodriguez shall not be detained, tried or punished in the US for any offense other than charges of insurance fraud, the subject of the US’ extradition request.

The case stemmed from Rodriguez’s declaration that his wife Imelda and her mother, Gloria Gener, died in an accident in Antipolo, Rizal. He collected $150,000 in death benefits from the insurance firm.

The firm later filed charges against the couple, resulting in the extradition case. Imelda is currently at large but "very sick," according to Rodriguez.

State counsel Claro Flores informed the court that Rodriguez has a hold departure order (HDO), prompting Peralta to have the order recalled to allow Rodriguez to leave for the US.

Peralso also set July 1 as a tentative date of the hearing for Imelda’s extradition.

Diaz is confident that the extradition will push through without any hitches.

"It would not be with as much fanfare as the extradition of Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez last year, but we expect it to take place without any hitch," said Diaz, referring to Jimenez’s departure on Dec. 26 last year.

Jimenez was extradited after the US government filed charges of tax evasion, wire fraud and illegal campaign contributions to the Democratic Party. — Cecille Suerte Felipe