MANILA - The Arroyo administration on Monday denied it is behind the transfer of convict Francisco Juan "Paco" Larrañaga from the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City to a detention facility in Spain, Larranaga's country of citizenship.

in her opening statement, Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said Larrañaga's transfer was "governed by an existing treaty between the two countries that provides for all the protocols governing such an action, up to and including the continuing validity of his final conviction and imprisonment by a Philippine court even on Spanish territory."

"Justice continues to be served here, as does the letter of the law," she told reporters.

Larrañaga, 32, a dual Filipino-Spanish citizen, was convicted with six others of raping and murdering the sisters Jacqueline and Marijoy Chiong in Cebu in 1997. The Supreme Court imposed the death sentence on all but one of the convicts but their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment after President Arroyo abolished the death penalty.

A prisoners exchange treaty ratified by the Senate in November 2007, however, has allowed Larrañaga to serve the remainder of his sentence in Spain.

Fajardo said Malacañang is open to a proposal to review the treaty as long as it is balanced with the benefits of such a treaty. Deputy Palace Spokesman Gary Olivar said Filipino convicts abroad could be repatriated back to the country as a result of prisoner exchange treaties.

Fajardo said family of the victims could coordinate with the Department of Justice on what could be done with Larrañaga's case. "We empathize with the family of the victims," she said.