What is diplomatic immunity?
MANILA, Philippines — President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be covered by diplomatic immunity when he becomes head of state, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Thursday, putting to rest questions over issues pending against him and his family in US court.
"The fact is when you are head of state, you have immunity in all circumstances and are welcomed to the United States in your official role," reports quote her as saying at a roundtable discussion on Thursday.
Marcos Jr. and his mother Imelda are named in a 1995 contempt judgment from a US court in relation to a human rights class suit. The judgment has not been enforced and the penalty was at $353 million in 2011. Marcos Jr.'s election to office has raised questions on whether he could visit the US despite the contempt judgment.
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Select foreign government officials given diplomatic immunity are not covered by the jurisdiction of local courts and other authorities for both official and personal activities, based on a 2018 guide written by the US Department of State.
"The underlying concept is that foreign representatives can carry out their duties effectively only if they are accorded a certain degree of insulation from the application of standard law enforcement practices of the host country," the guide reads.
It added, however that diplomatic immunity at its highest level does not exempt officials from following national and local laws in the area. "Diplomatic immunity is not intended to serve as a license for persons to flout the law and purposely avoid liability for their actions," it explained.
Sherman paid a courtesy call on Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday. — Angelica Y. Yang
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