Regional MPs urge Philippine Senate to allow Senator Leila de Lima to participate in online sessions
May 10, 2020
JAKARTA – As the Philippines Senate opens the possibility for official proceedings to be conducted through the use of electronic communications due to COVID-19, lawmakers from Southeast Asia today urged the Upper House to ensure Senator Leila de Lima is able to participate in online parliamentary sessions. A vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, the outspoken Senator has been incarcerated since her arrest in February 2017 on charges related to drug trafficking.
The parliamentarians also reiterated their call on the Philippine authorities to immediately release Senator de Lima and unconditionally drop all charges against her.
On 4 May, the Senate approved Resolution 372, which paves the way for the Upper House to conduct plenary sessions and committee meetings through remote or electronic methods, including teleconferencing, during an emergency. The Senate President Sotto Vicente III however said last week that Senator de Lima will not be allowed to join the online hearings.
“The continued exclusion of Senator de Lima from Senate sessions is ridiculous. Since all Senators will be able to join parliamentary sessions from their home through online teleconferencing, there are no plausible reasons to prevent Senator Leila de Lima to do so from her prison cell,” said Charles Santiago, a Malaysian Member of Parliament (MP) and Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
“Senator de Lima has not been convicted of any offences, despite spending the last two years in prison. Her only crime has been to stand up for human rights. Denying her the possibility to join Senate sessions online is yet another attempt at silencing her and preventing her from fully exercising her mandate as a directly-elected representative,” said Santiago.
Since her detention, Senator de Lima has not been able to attend or participate in any Senate meetings. While she has been able to file, amongst others, bills, resolutions, and committee reports, these have been done through the assistance of her staff. A resolution filed by Senators Franklin Drilon and Panfilo Lacson in July 2019 to allow Senator de Lima to attend plenary sessions by way of electronic means remains pending at the Upper House.
Senator de Lima, who is an APHR member, is one of the most vocal critics of President Duterte’s deadly anti-drugs policy. Before her arrest, she was leading a Senate investigation into the President’s so-called ‘war on drugs’. While trial proceedings have begun, her cases have been marred by significant delays, including the withdrawal of at least six judges from hearing her case.
“At a time when the priority is to urgently decrease the prison population to stem COVID-19 pandemic, what is Senator de Lima still doing behind bars? When considering who to release as a matter of priority, clearly Senator de Lima and all other peaceful political and human rights activists should be prioritised,” said Santiago.
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) was founded in June 2013 with the objective of promoting democracy and human rights across Southeast Asia. Our founding members include many of the region's most progressive Members of Parliament (MPs), with a proven track record of human rights advocacy work.