OPY.
Enclosure/
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
C.O.
5615
236
Rece REGE 17 FEB 13
I am writing in connection with an application which has been quite recently made for the extradition to the Philippine Islands of a man called Vicente Sotto.
2.
I spoke shortly to H. E. yesterday about the matter and His Excellency asked me to put on paper what I wished to say.
3.
The circumstances of this case are peculiar and I have serious doubts whether we ought to assist the U. S. A. Authorities to obtain this man's extradition on the present application. I have con- -sidered the case with a great deal of anxiety and care.
4.
The position is sortly as follows:-
Vicente Sotto is a Filipino and used to live in the Philippine Islands; is an Attorney and a journalist.
He seems to have always been a very strong Nationalist advocating early establishment of independence for the Philippine Islands and very vigorously attacking the U. S. administration of the
place.
He appears to have published newspapers in the Islamis and to have, constantly, on account of his published views on politics,
came into conflict with the Administration: according to his own
account he was prosecuted twice for sedition and twenty four times for
libel on Government Officials and his papers were suppressed by the U.
S. Authorities.
In 1906, in August, Sotto seems to have abducted a young
Filipino woman of middle class: this woman seems to have gone to live
with Sotto quite voluntarily.
Sotto was charged before the Court of First Instance with abduction on the complaint of the mother of the abducted girl and was found guilty being sentenced to four years and two months correctional imprisonment on December 21st., 1906. Sotto appealed to the Supreme Court from this decision and having been, pending the appeal, enlarged
on bail he fled to Hongkong.
It may be noted that the Supreme Court confirmed the
i