US senators file resolution urging PHL gov't to release De Lima

A resolution has been filed in the United States Senate condemning the continued detention of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima and calling for her immediate release.

The resolution, filed by a bipartisan group of US Senators—Democrats Ed Markey, Chris Coons, and Dick Durbin and Republicans Marco Rubio and Marsha Blackburn—also condemned the "state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings" in the Philippines as part of the Duterte administration's war on drugs, and called for the dropping of charges against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.

According to the resolution, De Lima should be considered a "prisoner of conscience," who was detained "solely on account of her political views and legitimate exercise of her freedom of expression."

De Lima has been detained since February 2017 at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City over allegations that she let the illegal drug trade to proliferate inside the New Bilibid Prison during her term as justice secretary.

This was supposedly in exchange for funds for her senatorial campaign in 2016.

The resolution called for the Philippine government to drop all charges against De Lima, remove restrictions on her personal and work conditions, as well as allow her to perform her functions in the Philippine Senate.

Apart from this, the resolution likewise urged the Philippine government "to recognize the importance of human rights defenders and their work and allow them to operate freely without fear of reprisal."

The resolution also wanted the Philippine government to ensure the right to press freedom, while calling to quash all charges against Ressa and Rappler.

According to the resolution, the charges against Ressa and Rappler are viewed by human rights groups and other governments as "part of a pattern of 'weaponizing the rule of law' to repress independent media."

Ressa has been accused of committing cyber libel, of violating the Anti-Dummy Law, and of evading taxes in separate court cases, for which she is facing charges.

Six lawmakers from the United States House of Representatives have also earlier filed a resolution calling for De Lima's release. —Erwin Colcol/KG/BM, GMA News