Wednesday, October 22, 2014

VFA; visiting forces agreement - - www.state.gov/documents/organization/107852.pdf



See - www.state.gov/documents/organization/107852.pdf



Criminal jurisdiction;

Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America

and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines

Regarding the Treatment of United States Armed Forces

Visiting the Philippines


"x x x.

Article V

Criminal Jurisdiction



1. Subject to the provisions of this article:



(a) Philippine authorities shall have jurisdiction over United States

personnel with respect to offenses committed within the Philippines

and punishable under the law of the Philippines.

(b) United States military authorities shall have the right to exercise

within the Philippines all criminal and disciplinary jurisdiction

conferred on them by the military law of the United States over United

States personnel in the Philippines.



2. (a) Philippine authorities exercise exclusive jurisdiction over United

States personnel with respect to offenses, including offenses relating to

the security of the Philippines, punishable under the laws of the

Philippines, but not under the laws of the United States.



(b) United States authorities exercise exclusive jurisdiction over

United States personnel with respect to offenses, including offenses

relating to the security of the United States, punishable under the laws

of the United States, but not under the laws of the Philippines.



(c) For the purposes of this paragraph and paragraph 3 of this article,

an offense relating to security means:



(1) treason;

(2) sabotage, espionage or violation of any law relating to

national defense.



3. In cases where the right to exercise jurisdiction is concurrent, the

following rules shall apply:



(a) Philippine authorities shall have the primary right to exercise

jurisdiction over all offenses committed by United States personnel,

except in cases provided for in paragraphs 1 (b), 2 (b), and 3 (b) of this

Article.



(b) United States military authorities shall have the primary right to

exercise jurisdiction over United States personnel subject to the

military law of the United States in relation to:



(1) offenses solely against the property or security of the United States

or offenses solely against the property or person of United States

personnel; and



(2) offenses arising out of any act or omission done in performance of

official duty.



(c) The authorities of either government may request the authorities of

the other government to waive their primary right to exercise

jurisdiction in a particular case.



(d) Recognizing the responsibility of the United States military

authorities to maintain good order and discipline among their forces,

Philippine authorities will, upon request by the United States, waive

their primary right to exercise jurisdiction except in cases of particular

importance to the Philippines. If the Government of the Philippines

determines that the case is of particular importance, it shall

communicate such determination to the United States authorities within

twenty (20) days after the Philippine authorities receive the United

States request.



(e) When the United States military commander determines that an

offense charged by authorities of the Philippines against United States

personnel arises out of an act or omission done in the performance of

official duty, the commander will issue a certificate setting forth such

determination. This certificate will be transmitted to the appropriate

authorities of the Philippines and will constitute sufficient proof of

performance of official duty for the purposes of paragraph 3(b)(2) of

this article. In those cases where the Government of the Philippines

believes the circumstances of the case require a review of the duty

certificate, United States military authorities and Philippine authorities

shall consult immediately. Philippine authorities at the highest levels

may also present any information bearing on its validity. United States

military authorities shall take full account of the Philippine position.

Where appropriate, United States military authorities will take

disciplinary or other action against offenders in official duty cases, and

notify the Government of the Philippines of the actions taken.



(f) If the government having the primary right does not exercise

jurisdiction, it shall notify the authorities of the other government as

soon as possible.



(g) The authorities of the Philippines and the United States shall notify

each other of the disposition of all cases in which both the authorities of

the Philippines and the United States have the right to exercise

jurisdiction.



4. Within the scope of their legal competence, the authorities of the

Philippines and the United States shall assist each other in the arrest of

United States personnel in the Philippines and in handing them over to

authorities who are to exercise jurisdiction in accordance with the

provisions of this article.



5. United States military authorities shall promptly notify Philippine

authorities of the arrest or detention of United States personnel who are

subject to Philippine primary or exclusive jurisdiction. Philippine

authorities shall promptly notify United States military authorities of

the arrest or detention of any United States personnel.



6. The custody of any United States personnel over whom the

Philippines is to exercise jurisdiction shall immediately reside with

United States military authorities, if they so request, from the

commission of the offense until completion of all judicial proceedings.

United States military authorities shall, upon formal notification by the

Philippine authorities and without delay, make such personnel available

to those authorities in time for any investigative or judicial proceedings

relating to the offense with which the person has been charged. In

extraordinary cases, the Philippine Government shall present its

position to the United States Government regarding custody, which the

United States Government shall take into full account. In the event

Philippine judicial proceedings are not completed within one year, the

United States shall be relieved of any obligations under this paragraph.

The one year period will not include the time necessary to appeal.

Also, the one year period will not include any time during which

scheduled trial procedures are delayed because United States

authorities, after timely notification by Philippine authorities to arrange

for the presence of the accused, fail to do so.



7. Within the scope of their legal authority, United States and

Philippine authorities shall assist each other in the carrying out of all

necessary investigations into offenses and shall cooperate in providing

for the attendance of witnesses and in the collection and production of

evidence, including seizure and, in proper cases, the delivery of objects

connected with an offense.



8. When United States personnel have been tried in accordance with

the provisions of this article and have been acquitted or have been

convicted and are serving, or have served their sentence, or have had

their sentence remitted or suspended, or have been pardoned, they may

not be tried again for the same offense in the Philippines. Nothing in

this paragraph, however, shall prevent United States military authorities

from trying United States personnel for any violation of rules of

discipline arising from the act or omission which constituted an offense

for which they were tried by Philippine authorities.



9. When United States personnel are detained, taken into custody, or

prosecuted by Philippine authorities, they shall be accorded all

procedural safeguards established by the law of the Philippines. At the

minimum, United States personnel shall be entitled:



(a) To a prompt and speedy trial;

(b) To be informed in advance of trial of the specific charge or

charges made against them and to have reasonable time to prepare a

defense;

(c) To be confronted with witnesses against them and to cross examine

such witnesses;

(d) To present evidence in their defense and to have compulsory

process for obtaining witnesses;

(e) To have free and assisted legal representation of their own choice

on the same basis as nationals of the Philippines;

(f) To have the services of a competent interpreter;

(g) To communicate promptly with and to be visited regularly by

United States authorities, and to have such authorities present at all

judicial proceedings. These proceedings shall be public unless the

court, in accordance with Philippine law, excludes persons who have no

role in the proceedings.



10. The confinement or detention by Philippine authorities of United

States personnel shall be carried out in facilities agreed on by

appropriate Philippine and United States authorities. United States

personnel serving sentences in the Philippines shall have the right to

visits and material assistance.



11. United States personnel shall be subject to trial only in Philippine

courts of ordinary jurisdiction, and shall not be subject to the

jurisdiction of Philippine military or religious courts.


x x x."