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RP can't compel US to turn over Smith - official


MANILA Philippines - A day after the Supreme Court ruled convicted rapist Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith should be turned over to Philippine custody, an official admitted the government would not be able to do anything if the United States government refuses to comply with the order. Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus said the Philippine government would be dealing with a a sovereign state. "Walang magagawa ang gobyerno natin. Sovereign state ang US government, hindi natin [pwede] pwersahin o idemanda unless pumayag sila," Corpus said in an interview over radio dWIZ, when asked what the Philippine government could do if the US refused to turn over Smith. ["We can do nothing. The US is a sovereign government. We cannot force it to comply or prosecute it if it refuses."] But he said US authorities had "assured" him they would turn over Smith to Philippine authorities after the "termination of all judicial proceedings." According to Corpus, the US interprets the "all judicial proceedings" as all legal processes including a final ruling by the Supreme Court. Smith is still appealing his case. Corpus said he had discussed the matter with US Embassy officials several times, making him familiar with the position of the US government. Corpus also said the US Embassy told him it already had options for any decision by the courts, including the possibility of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) being declared unconstitutional. On the other hand, he said he was not aware of any plan by the Philippine government through the Office of the Solicitor General to ask the Supreme Court for reconsideration. "Kung ma-declare na unconstitutional ang VFA, ang maging consequence magpu-pullout lahat, Balikatan. [Sabi nila] we will respect the decision of the Philippine courts," he said. ["If the VFA is declared unconstitutional, they are ready to pull out all their troops in the Balikatan exercises, though the VFA has so far been upheld. But they said they would respect the decision of the Philippine courts."] - GMANews.TV
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