Last week, De Lima said the Department of Justice (DoJ) is exploring the possibility of extraditing Alfaro back to the Philippines if she refuses to cooperate with the new investigation.

Realizing her mistake, De Lima said Monday that extradition is not an option because Alfaro is a witness and not a suspect facing any criminal case.

The task force tasked to conduct reinvestigation into the 1991 Vizconde massacre cannot force her to come back to further testify, she said.

She said Alfaro cannot be extradited as extradition presupposes the existence of a case. “I am not aware of a criminal proceeding against Jessica Alfaro. And the task force naman has no coercive powers. We do not have subpoena powers. So we are banking on those who have connections to her na i-convince siya to testify,” De Lima said.

There were unverified reports that Alfaro is no longer willing to return to the country after expressing frustration over the Supreme Court's ruling acquitting Hubert Webb and six others in the grisly carnage of three members of the Vizconde family in 1991.

But De Lima revealed that there are now moves to convince Alfaro to go back to the country for the reinvestigation of the massacre.

She said Alfaro would be placed under the Witness Protection Program if she returns to the country.

But she admitted that the government is having difficulty in contacting Alfaro, who is reportedly in Canada.

She revealed that Alfaro's relatives from Team Jecares, the former NBI team that produced her in the earlier probe, has been tapped to contact the star witness.

Jeamma Sabate, Manila Bulletin