Secretary of Justice vs.

Lantion RULING:
G.R. No. 139465 (Jan. 18, 2000)
FACTS:
Department of Justice (DOJ) received from the Department of
Foreign Affairs U.S. a request for the extradition of private respondent
Mark Jimenez to the U.S. for violation of Conspiracy to Commit Offense,
Attempt to Evade Tax, Fraud by Wire, Radio, or Television, False
Statement, and Election Contribution in Name of Another.
During the evaluation process of the extradition, the private
respondent, requested the petitioner, Secretary of Justice, to furnish him
copies of the extradition request from the U.S. government, that he be
given ample time to comment regarding the extradition request against
him after he shall have received copies of the requested papers, and to
suspend the proceeding in the meantime.
The petitioner, Secretary of Justice denied the request in consistent
with Art. 7 of the RP – US Extradition Treaty which provides that the
Philippine Government must represent the interests of the U.S. in any
proceedings arising from an extradition request.
Yes. According to the principle of “Pacta Sunt Servanda”, parties to
a treaty should keep their agreements to good faith. However, Sec. 2 of
Art. 2 of the Constitution (incorporation clause) provides that the
Philippines “adopts the generally accepted principles of international law
as part of the law of the land”.
Incorporation clause is applied when there is a conflict between the
international law and local/municipal law. However, jurisprudence dictates
that municipal law should be upheld by the municipal court.
The fact that the international law has been made part of the law
of the land does not imply the primacy of international law over national
or municipal law in the municipal sphere. Rules of international law are
given an equal standing with, but not superior to, the national legislative
enactment. The principle of “Lex Posterior Derogat Priori” clarifies that a
treaty may repeal a statute and a statute may repeal a treaty. And the
Republic of the Philippines considers its Constitution as the highest law of
the land, therefore, both statutes and treaty may be invalidated if they are
conflict with the constitution.

The private respondent filed with the RTC against the petitioner
Hon. Ralph Lantion (presiding judge RTC Manila Branch 25) a mandamus, a
certiorari, and a prohibition to enjoin the petitioner, the Secretary of DFA,
and NBI from performing any acts directed to the extradition of the
respondent, for it will be a deprivation of his rights to due process of
notice and hearing.

ISSUE:

Whether or not the respondent Mark Jimenez is entitled to the basic rights
of due process over the government’s duties under a treaty?