SEN. Erwin Tulfo has urged the Senate to concur in the Asean Treaty on Extradition, saying the landmark agreement would strengthen regional cooperation against criminals and transnational crime while ensuring that extradition proceedings remain anchored on due process and human rights.
Tulfo made the call Wednesday as he co-sponsored Proposed Resolution 623, or the Resolution of Concurrence on the Asean Treaty on Extradition, under Committee Report 83.
As a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Tulfo said he had closely examined the treaty and its potential implications for the Philippines.
He credited committee chairman Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri for advancing the measure toward Senate action.
The treaty was signed in Manila on Nov. 14, 2025, during the Philippines' chairmanship of the Asean Law Ministers Meeting, marking a significant step toward strengthening legal cooperation among Southeast Asian nations.
Tulfo noted that the Philippines is poised to become the first Asean member state to ratify the agreement.
He said the treaty is particularly important since the movement of people, money and criminal networks across borders has made it increasingly difficult for individual countries to pursue fugitives on their own.
“Criminals must not be allowed to find haven in another Asean country,” Tulfo said.
Under the treaty, Asean member states would have a common framework for extradition cooperation, making it easier for one country to seek the surrender of a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence in another member state, subject to applicable legal safeguards.
Tulfo emphasized that stronger law-enforcement cooperation should not come at the expense of individual rights.
He said extradition must continue to be guided by due process, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and that requests for the surrender of fugitives go through the appropriate legal scrutiny.
He underscored the Philippines' role in advancing the regional agreement, describing the treaty as an outcome of the country's leadership and engagement within Asean.
Tulfo thanked Zubiri for carrying forward the Committee on Foreign Relations' work and helping move the treaty toward ratification.
