Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) — The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the world’s oldest and largest group of national parliaments, said it was “ever more convinced” that the cases of former Senator Leila de Lima were related to her vocal opposition to the deadly war on drugs, as it renewed its call for her freedom.
The decision was adopted by the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians at its 170th session last Jan. 21 to Feb. 2 in Geneva, Switzerland but only released to the media on Feb. 19.
“The Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians [e]xpresses grave concern that six years after she was first charged, Ms. De Lima continues to languish in detention, even after the key witness against her in one of the two remaining cases stated that he had been forced by the former executive authorities to testify against her,” the resolution read.
The IPU committee called anew to drop the charges against De Lima and urged authorities to take the “necessary action.”
Should charges not be dropped, the IPU committee requested to let its trial observer continue monitoring and reporting on respect for fair-trial standards in the cases before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court, “including in order to assess if and how existing concerns about the legality and fairness of the proceedings are properly reviewed.”
The organization also said it “regrets once more that it was not possible for the Supreme Court to rule on the public campaign of vilification of Ms. De Lima by the highest state authorities, thereby missing an important opportunity to condemn and end the public degrading treatment to which she has been subjected as a woman parliamentarian.”
“[The committee] requests the Secretary General to convey this decision to the relevant parliamentary authorities, the complainant, and any third party likely to be in a position to supply relevant information,” it added.
De Lima, one of the vocal critics of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, will be marking her sixth year of arrest and imprisonment in Camp Crame on Feb. 24 over drug-related charges.
TIMELINE: De Lima’s five-year struggle in prison
Boni Tacardon, one of her legal counsels, earlier said they would file a supplemental motion for bail this month after key witness Rafael Ragos ended his testimony against the former senator.
READ: De Lima to again seek bail after key witness ends testimony
So far, she has been acquitted in one of her three drug cases.
