Nov 9, 2020 | DFF, Statements
JAKARTA – On the eve of the second anniversary of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima’s imprisonment, parliamentarians from across Southeast Asia today expressed grave concern over her continued detention on trumped-up charges and reiterated their call for her immediate release.
“The two years Senator de Lima has spent languishing in prison serve as a dark reminder of President Duterte’s zero-tolerance for scrutiny and the eroding state of democracy and human rights in the Philippines. The charges against her fly in the face of justice and the Philippine government must end its judicial harassment against her without further delay,” said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament.
On 24 February 2017, Sen. de Lima, a member of APHR, was arrested on charges related to drug trafficking (Sections 3 and 5 of the Dangerous Drugs Act). These have since been amended by the Department of Justice to conspiracy to traffic drugs (Section 26(b) of the same law). Her case has been marred by significant delays – it took approximately 18 months before she was arraigned in one of her three cases – and to date, four judges have inhibited themselves from hearing her case.
Senator de Lima has been one of the most vocal critics of President Duterte’s deadly crackdown against those allegedly involved in illegal drugs. Before her arrest, she was leading a Senate investigation into the President’s so-called ‘war on drugs’. In 2009, as Chair of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, she led a separate inquiry into President Duterte’s alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings when he was mayor in Davao City.
“It’s clear that the charges against her are politically motivated. Her prolonged and unjust imprisonment has been nothing but an attempt to deliberately silence Senator de Lima’s efforts, which were focused on important matters of public interest,” added Charles Santiago.
In November 2018, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that her imprisonment “lacks a legal basis” and is a form of reprisal due to her human rights work in the Philippines. The Working Group also urged the Philippine government to take steps to remedy the situation, including compensation and reinstatement of positions she was ousted from.
The Southeast Asian MPs noted with concern that thousands of people have been killed in the anti-drug campaign in the Philippines with an almost complete lack due process and independent investigations.
“Senator de Lima’s only ‘crime’ was trying to end the bloody anti-drug campaign unleashed under the current government. The Philippine people need more champions for justice like the Senator. As she continues her fight behind bars, she can rest assured that her regional peers are standing in solidarity with her and will keep raising her case until the day she walks free again,” concluded Charles Santiago.
Nov 9, 2020 | DFF, Statements
The Board of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) today renewed its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Philippines Senator Leila de Lima, expressing their collective solidarity with the Senator on the occasion of her 59th Birthday.
This is the second birthday she will spend in prison and it should be her last. Sen. de Lima has been one of the most outspoken critics of President Duterte’s “war on drugs.” In the months prior to her arrest in February 2017, Sen. De Lima had spearheaded a Senate investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings carried out by the current administration. She has remained in prison for 18 months, awaiting trial for three counts of drug trafficking charges. After more than a year of delays in the proceedings, she was arraigned on two of her charges in July and August.
Sen. De Lima and international rights groups have consistently maintained that the charges are false and politically motivated due to her outspoken criticism of the Duterte administration. During her time in detention, the Supreme Court has denied her request for legislative furlough so she can perform her duties as a Senator.
Throughout her incarceration, public access to Sen. de Lima has been limited. Several foreign delegations have been barred from visiting her in prison. In September 2017, authorities at her detention center denied APHR members access, despite the delegation having followed all proper protocols.
In light of the above concerns, and in failure of her release, we urge the Philippines authorities to allow Sen. de Lima to be able to receive visitors in prison, including foreign guests, on a non-discriminatory basis.
We further urge the Philippines government to end all harassment and politically motivated criminal charges against human rights defenders, journalists and members of the opposition who seek accountability for human rights violations in the context of the “war on drugs.” Sen. De Lima’s continued imprisonment undermines both democracy and the rule of law in the Philippines.
The APHR Board.
Nov 9, 2020 | DFF, Statements
JAKARTA – Parliamentarians from across Southeast Asia today reiterated their call for the immediate and unconditional release of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, who, as of tomorrow, will have spent one year in detention awaiting trial on politically motivated charges.
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) praised the Senator for her relentless pursuit of accountability and human rights and warned that her continued imprisonment represented a black mark on the Philippines’ international reputation.
“Senator de Lima’s unjust and politically motivated imprisonment continues to exemplify the grave threats to Philippine democracy that exist today, as well as the dire state of human rights in the country as a whole,” said APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament.
“Her detention is a preposterous abuse of the criminal justice system, which only serves to undermine the rule of law in the Philippines. Senator de Lima is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately.”
Sen. de Lima was arrested on 24 February 2017, one week after being charged with three counts of drug trafficking. She has remained in detention since, awaiting trial. Her arrest came as she was in the midst of leading a Senate investigation into President Duterte’s brutal ‘war on drugs,’ which has seen thousands die at the hands of police and vigilantes since Duterte took office in June 2016.
“As one of the most vocal opponents of the Duterte administration’s deadly ‘war on drugs,’ it is clear that Senator de Lima’s detention is the result of her dogged defense of the rights of all Filipinos. The government is relying on repression and intimidation to silence and impede the efforts of those working to uncover abuses and promote accountability,” Santiago said.
Since being charged, proceedings against Sen. de Lima have been marked by significant delays, including those resulting from motions filed by the Department of Justice to amend her charge from drug trafficking to conspiracy to traffic drugs.
Restrictions have also been placed on visits to the Senator in jail. APHR members were blocked from visiting Sen. de Lima in September, despite having followed all proper protocols, and other foreign delegations have since faced similar hurdles. Such moves by the authorities have only strengthened the argument that she is a victim of political persecution, APHR said.
“Barring foreign delegations like ours from visiting Senator de Lima sends the message that the government has something to hide when it comes to her case. Moreover, if the authorities had a legitimate case against her, it would have gone to trial already,” Santiago said.
MPs noted that Sen. de Lima’s case also reflected broader regional trends that have seen fellow lawmakers in Cambodia, Malaysia, and elsewhere arrested and charged amidst an intensifying clampdown on opposition voices across Southeast Asia.
“Senator de Lima is one of a growing number of lawmakers in the ASEAN region, who have faced harassment and imprisonment for daring to challenge the powers that be. This represents an unacceptable threat to democracy region-wide and must be countered,” Santiago said.
Meanwhile, international concern over President Duterte’s drug war has continued to rise in the months since Sen. de Lima’s imprisonment. This month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an initial inquiry into crimes against humanity allegedly committed by President Duterte, including extrajudicial executions dating back to 1988, when Duterte was the mayor of Davao City.
“If the government was trying to shut her up and avoid further international scrutiny by imprisoning Senator de Lima, their plan has backfired spectacularly. The move has only invited more questions about the administration’s atrocious human rights record,” Santiago concluded.
“As regional lawmakers, we stand in solidarity with Senator de Lima and all human rights defenders in the Philippines. We are in this fight together,” he added.
Nov 9, 2020 | DFF, Statements
MANILA — Members of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) have been denied access to visit Senator Leila De Lima in prison today in Manila. Upon arrival at Camp Crame for their scheduled visit at 1:30pm, their vehicle was denied entry to the premises and the MPs were told that they would not be allowed to visit the Senator. After proceeding on foot to the custodial center where Sen. De Lima has been held for nearly eight months, they were told that they had to wait indefinitely for approval from the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
APHR had applied for formal permission for four members — lawmakers from Malaysia and the Philippines — to visit Sen. De Lima, following all proper protocols, including sending a request letter 10 days in advance. They did not receive any advance warning of the potential rejection of their request to visit the Senator, who is routinely allowed visitors, including individuals from the international community. MPs were told that despite regular visiting hours being in effect, the officers on duty had not received clearance from police headquarters to permit their visit.
“The authorities’ decision to deny us access to visit Senator De Lima at the very last minute only furthers the public perception that the Senator is a victim of political persecution by President Rodrigo Duterte,” said APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament, and one of the MPs scheduled to visit the Senator.
“We reiterate our call for her immediate and unconditional release — she is a prisoner of conscience, jailed for her steadfast defense of human rights and criticism of violations by the Philippine authorities. This again demonstrates the deeply concerning state of democracy in the ASEAN region. Even in the Philippines — previously one of the most open societies in Southeast Asia — the government’s authoritarian restrictions betray a deep fear of legitimate public scrutiny,” he added.
