Senator Erwin Tulfo has called on fellow lawmakers to support the treaty between the Philippines and the United Kingdom on the transfer of sentenced persons.
Tulfo made the appeal as he sponsored Senate Resolution No. 315 before the plenary, five days after the measure was tackled by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which he chairs.
“Human rights and the dignity of every person remain, whether they are inside or outside the prison bars,” Tulfo underscored in his sponsorship speech.
“Under our Constitution, the government’s duty of care for a Filipino does not end simply because he or she made a mistake in another country,” he added.
The senator clarified that the agreement is not a “get out of jail free” card but a legal mechanism that would allow Filipinos convicted abroad to serve their sentences in the Philippines.
“The core of this Treaty is restorative justice. When a Filipino is imprisoned in a foreign land like the United Kingdom, they face more than just the loss of liberty. Aside from prison, there are also the walls of language and the distance from family. A double hardship,” he said.
Once in effect, the treaty would permit the transfer of sentenced Filipinos in the UK, subject to the consent of both governments and the prisoner concerned.
The sentence imposed by UK courts would continue to be enforced in the Philippines, with the Department of Justice overseeing the safe and orderly transfer of custody.
“We believe that the purpose of imprisonment is reform, not suffering. Let us show our fellow citizens in the United Kingdom that they are not forgotten by their Motherland. Let us work together for the good of our nation,” Tulfo concluded.