The Supreme Court (SC) has approved the Rules on Extradition Proceedings to ensure consistency, clarity, and efficiency in handling such cases.
The new rules, which take effect on November 10, will apply to all pending extradition proceedings, including applications for warrants of arrest, hold departure orders, and bail.
The Technical Working Group led by Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda as chairperson, with Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr. serving as vice chairperson, drafted the rules.
Extradition refers to the process of removing an extraditee from the country and placing them under the custody of foreign authorities in connection with a criminal investigation.
An extraditee is any individual within, or believed to be within, the Philippines whose provisional arrest for extradition has been requested by another state.
According to lawyer Evecar Cruz-Ferrer, the new rules will enhance how extradition cases are handled in the country.
“Presidential Decree No. 1069 or the Philippine Extradition Law, enacted in 1977, sets out the role of the courts in the extradition process. The rules approved by the Supreme Court will facilitate consistency in extradition proceedings, as well as support judges and relevant government agencies in implementing the Philippine Extradition Law,” she said.
Cruz-Ferrer, who teaches international law, added that the rules will “apply to all pending and future extradition proceedings, such as the forthcoming extradition request of the United States for Apollo Quiboloy.”
