"If he has the intention of facing the charges, he should come here to undergo trial and not stay there in the US," Datumanong said in Filipino.
Datumanong noted that Strunk went to the US in January 2002 to attend to his ailing mother and has not returned. This prompted authorities to work on his extradition, believing he is evading prosecution for the murder of his wife, actress Nida Blanca.
"The Philippine government will be happy that the proceedings are set to start on the Nida Blanca murder case," Datumanong said.
Justice Undersecretary Merceditas Gutierrez said the US District Attorney will represent the Philippine government in the extradition hearing, in which the DA is expected to oppose any petition by Strunk to post bail.
"It is just incumbent on their part to oppose the bail of Mr. Strunk considering that we have 60 days to present our formal extradition request," she said.
According to Gutierrez, a US court would decide on whether Strunk should be granted bail pending the formal request from the Philippine government.
In the first place, she explained that the Philippine government asked for the provisional arrest to guarantee the appearance of Strunk once the extradition petition is filed in a US court.
"And the only guarantee is for him (Strunk) to be held in detention pending submission of the (extradition) request," Gutierrez said.
The moment the US court issues the order for extradition, Gutierrez said the DOJ will send representatives to fetch Strunk and detain him by order of the Pasig City court where the murder charges are lodged.
On the possibility that Strunk will be sentenced to death, Gutierrez pointed out a provision of the extradition treaty the country has with the US.
Under the extradition treaty provision, if the person to be extradited is being charged by an offense punishable by death and the requested state, the US in this case, does not permit such punishment, the extradition may be refused "unless the requesting state (Philippines) assures that if the death penalty is imposed, it will not be carried out."
Gutierrez said "it is an obligation on our part to issue an undertaking so we will oblige."
In the US, the death penalty is being implemented in 38 states, including California where US Marshals caught up with Strunk on Tuesday.
Strunk is facing charges for allegedly masterminding the murder of Blanca, Dorothy Jones in real life, whose body was found inside her parked car in San Juan on Nov. 7, 2001.
The alleged hit man, Philip Medel Jr., claimed Strunk masterminded the killing with several others who are still at large.
Under Philippine laws, murder is a capital offense punishable by lethal injection.
US Marshals apprehended Strunk on Tuesday at the house of his relative in eastern California on the basis of "provisional arrest" stemming from the request of the DOJ after the Pasig court issued an arrest warrant in February.
Datumanong had said the government will formally file the extradition request to the US government within 60 days.
Diaz said the provisional arrest of Strunk will give the opportunity for the NBI to consolidate all documents related to the case.
Even as the extradition case is being heard, Diaz said Strunk can try and avail of his right to post bail before the US authorities.
But unlike in the case of Charlie "Atong" Ang who was granted bail despite efforts by the Philippine government to extradite him, Diaz believed this will not happen in the case of Strunk.
"Ang was granted bail because the Las Vegas court ruled the charges against him were merely based on the uncorroborated statement by a corrupt government official," Diaz said.
"In Strunk’s case, he is charged with murder, in which we have sufficient evidence. It’s not a political or religious case," he added.