The Philippines and Denmark signed the Agreed Minutes on the negotiations of the proposed Agreement on the Transfer of Sentences Persons (TSPA) held Wednesday at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The minutes was the result of the negotiations also held at the DFA on September 27.
Justice Chief State Counsel Ricardo V. Paras III and Danish Ambassador to the Philippines Svend Waever led the Philippine and Danish delegations, respectively.
The Philippine and Danish sides have agreed to continue with their internal consultations towards the eventual conclusion and signing of the TSPA.
A TSPA is an agreement which provides individuals who have been tried and convicted in a foreign country the option to serve the remaining portion of their sentences in their home country.
The agreement aims to facilitate the social rehabilitation and reintegration of those who have violated the law by allowing them not to escape their sentences and punishment, but to serve them in their own countries. This will allow prison visits from relatives and friends, reduce difficulties brought about by language barriers and cultural differences and assist sentenced persons in reitegrating into society after their sentences are served.
The Philippines have signed bilateral TSPAs with Spain, Hong Kong, Thailand, Canada and Cuba.
The country has also taken steps towards accession to the Stratsbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, a multilateral framework developed by the Council of Europe, aimed at giving persons imprisoned in foreign countries the chance to serve their sentences in their own societies. The Convention has 64 contracting states, including Denmark, who ratified the Convention in 1987.
