Foreign personnel working at the upcoming Pax Silica artificial intelligence hub in Tarlac will not enjoy diplomatic immunity and must fully comply with local regulations, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) emphasized.
Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo issued the clarification following public concerns that foreign employees stationed at the facility might leverage diplomatic status to avoid legal accountability or prosecution if they commit crimes or statutory violations on Philippine soil.
Rodolfo confirmed that an explicit provision confirming full submission to local laws will be integrated into the framework agreement scheduled to be signed by the Philippines and the United States in November.
He further clarified that the Pax Silica hub will operate squarely within Philippine jurisdiction, meaning all participating foreign companies and their workforce will remain strictly subject to national laws and legal processes.
Public discussion surrounding legal protections for foreign personnel escalated after critics cited past high-profile incidents, including the case of Jennifer Laude, alongside worries regarding potential labor law non-compliance by international entities setting up operations at the Tarlac facility.