Posted on 03/18/2002 3:26:10 PM PST by altair
FBI director presses for Manila solon's extradition
Posted:0:02 AM (Manila Time) | Mar. 19, 2002
By Christine Herrera, Juliet L. Javellana and Michael Ubac
Inquirer News Service
MANILA Representative Mark B. Jimenez is no international terrorist, but the head of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation wants him badly just the same.
How badly? Nothing short of a swift extradition, according to visiting FBI director Robert Mueller who refuses to even acknowledge Jimenez's current official title. To Mueller, the fugitive is just plain old "Mr. Jimenez".
"We want Mr. Jimenez extradited expeditiously back to the US to face charges. The extradition of Mr. Jimenez is important to us," the FBI chief told newsmen Monday at the US embassy's seafront compound along Roxas Boulevard.
Mueller, who arrived Sunday for an overnight visit, met Monday with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other officials to brief them on the US-led global war on terrorism - and to press for Jimenez's extradition.
Jimenez, however, just shrugged off Mueller's statement, saying it was nothing but a "repetition" of the US government's longstanding request for his extradition.
"My case is in court so it will be the (Manila Regional Trial Court) that will decide," he told the Inquirer on the phone.
Jimenez was indicted in Florida in 1999 for tax evasion, mail fraud, and illegal contributions to the Democratic Party.
He fled to the Philippines, cultivated close ties with the then president, Joseph Estrada, and managed to stave off his extradition through the courts. Last year, the businessman ran for Congress and won a seat representing Manila's sixth district.
The controversial businessman, whom Estrada had once described as a "corporate genius", has been seen lately with Ms Macapagal, accompanying her at the Philippine Racing Club, distributing goods to the poor in Manila's Tondo district, and hobnobbing with the privileged few allowed to attend the People Power II anniversary rites.
Jimenez, who has launched a feeding program for indigent children in his district, said his encounters with Ms Macapagal were "rare".
Even so, Mueller is leaving nothing to chance.
"We discussed (the issue of Jimenez) today at the Department of Justice and I raised with President Macapagal-Arroyo our desire to have him extradited expeditiously - under the legal procedures in the Philippines," Mueller said.
In a separate news briefing, Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said he assured Mueller that the Philippine government was doing its best to expedite the extradition of Jimenez.
"He asked about the case," Perez said of Muller. "We told him that we had already presented our evidence and it shall now be the turn of Congressman Jimenez to present his evidence."
He said he explained to Mueller the workings of "Philippine democracy".
"I pointed out to him that one of the institutions brought to the Philippines by the Americans is democracy. And under a democratic system everyone has the right to be heard," Perez said.
"The Philippine Bill of Rights was basically copied from the American Constitution and we should give Congressman Jimenez a fair hearing, which is being done now."
In his media briefing, Mueller said Jimenez's case was "an important extradition case" among several others involving Filipino citizens wanted in the United States.
"It is important we work with our judicial systems to accomplish the cooperation that is necessary to assure that those who break the laws are brought to justice and brought to justice swiftly," he said.
Mueller said there were several Filipinos in the United States whom the Philippine government also wanted extradited.
"We are working closely (with the Philippine government) to ensure that these individuals are extradited to the Philippines," Mueller said.
Among the Filipinos who have fled to the US are Charlie "Atong" Ang and Yolanda Ricaforte, who are linked to the plunder case against Estrada.
In his talk with the Inquirer, Jimenez said he didn't find such an exchange fair. He said such an exchange would only be fair if both cases involved heinous crimes.
"I'm surprised. My case is (giving) political contributions, and there's no such thing as exchange for such a case," he said.
Jimenez earlier expressed willingness to cooperate with state prosecutors to gather evidence on Estrada's alleged illegal accumulation of wealth. But he was later dropped as a potential state witness when the depositions he had submitted proved insufficient.
On request of the US government, the Department of Justice filed a petition for Jimenez's extradition with the Manila Regional Trial Court on March 18, 2001. Earlier, the Supreme Court ruled that it was implicit in the extradition treaty between Manila and Washington that there should be "an unbending commitment" that neither government should coddle criminals.
Jimenez moved for reconsideration on Nov. 29 but the high tribunal denied his appeal on Feb. 7, 2001, removing all legal obstacles to the extradition proceedings at the Manila trial court.
Jimenez asked the trial court not to issue a warrant of arrest against him. But after a series of hearings and the presentation of several documents by both parties, the court issued a warrant for his arrest on July 3, 2001 and recommended a bail of one million pesos. He immediately posted bail.
On Aug. 31, the court ordered the justice department to mark its exhibits and to file its formal offer of evidence and memorandum not later than 30 days after the termination of the markings.
The department filed its formal offer of evidence and memorandum on Jan. 5. Jimenez received his copy two days later but argued that it did not include a copy of the marked exhibits.
The court, however, ordered Jimenez to start marking his exhibits and to file his formal offer of evidence and memorandum within 30 days.
(C)2002 www.inq7.net all rights reserved
Get him, guys.
The charges against fugitive Clinton donor Mark Jimenez carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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