Sotto, Marcos to US Senate panel: PHL is no longer your colony

At least two Filipino senators rejected Thursday the resolution passed by a US Senate foreign relations committee condemning the Philippine government for the continued detention of Senator Leila de Lima and calling for the dropping of charges against her and her immediate release. 

Senate President Vicente Sotto III the US senators should stop meddling with the affairs of the Philippine government.

“We are a sovereign nation. We have our own judicial processes. What will they say if we pass a resolution asking the US to put in jail all abortionists in their country considering abortion is illegal in ours?” he said in a message to reporters.

The Senate leader said criminal laws are territorial and are different in every country.

“Sovereign states have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide the violation of their own laws. We are not a colony anymore,” he said.

Senator Imee Marcos was also not happy with the resolution of the US Senate.

“Sa palagay ko, talagang garapal na pakikialam ‘yun kaya tigilan na nila. Hindi na tayo little brown brother, hindi na tayo colony ng America. Dapat konting respeto rin,” she told reporters.

“Ang galing naman nila mas marunong pa sila sa Filipino tungkol sa Pilipinas. Huwag naman ganun, konting respeto naman. Panghihimasok ‘yun, 1910 pa rin ba tayo? Hindi. Mali na ‘yan,” she said. 

US Senate Resolution 142, filed in April 2019, also urged US President Donand Trump to impose sanctions on Philippine officials and security  forces allegedly responsible for extrajudicial killings and orchestrating the arrest and prolonged detention of De Lima.

It further urged Trump to ensure that US security assistance provided to the Philippine National Police is fully consistent with the human rights conditions mandated in the Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. —LDF, GMA News