Sen. Imee Marcos on Wednesday revealed that she filed a bill seeking to criminalize extraordinary rendition, a move directly inspired by the arrest and transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague.
Senate Bill 557, also known as the proposed “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Act,” defines extraordinary rendition as the transfer of any individual from Philippine jurisdiction to a foreign one without voluntary, written consent or an order from a Philippine court.
“It is the policy of the State to uphold its sovereignty and maintain the primacy of its jurisdiction over persons within its territory and over crimes committed therein,” Marcos said in the bill’s explanatory note.
“It is likewise the policy of the State to empower the judicial system and maintain the constitutional mechanisms of checks and balances,” she added.
The bill proposes a penalty of imprisonment ranging from six to 20 years to anyone who facilitates such a transfer outside of legal processes.
Marcos framed the bill as a direct response to what she characterized as Duterte’s illegal arrest and extradition for prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The bill also prohibits providing technical, material, or technological support to any international court, tribunal, or foreign state not recognized by the Philippine government.
Entities involved in foreign legal proceedings would first need a permit from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) before conducting investigations within the country.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shall exhaust every diplomatic channel to ensure that Filipino citizens who are victims of extraordinary rendition will be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as possible and that judgments of the Philippine court will be given effect,” the bill added.
