In a bid to help Filipinos in distress, the Philippines is trying to finalize an agreement with China that allows an exchange of prisoners.

Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Sta. Romana said around 200 Filipinos detained in China for alleged drug trafficking may be able to serve their sentences back home once the agreement is signed.

In return, Chinese nationals jailed in the Philippines may be allowed to serve the remainder of their services in their home country.

The proposed prisoner swap pact was among the topics discussed by President Duterte and China President Xi Jinping in their bilateral talks last Monday.

“There are some discussions about transfer of sentenced persons. They are trying to reach an agreement,” Sta. Romana said in an interview at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.

“It’s been an issue for quite some time so they reviewed it and they’re making progress on this and they want to continue making progress,” he said when asked if the matter was raised by Duterte in his meeting with Xi.

Sta. Romana said the negotiations for the proposed prisoner swap agreement are being handled by the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The prisoner exchange agreement was proposed back in 2011 but has yet to be ironed out by the two sides.

Asked if the agreement could be signed within the year, Sta. Romana said it was hard to say but assured that the two governments are working on the matter.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Genalyn Kabiling

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