De Lima thanks US Congress for including entry ban provision vs. her ‘persecutors’

Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Monday thanked the US Congress for including in the 2020 Budget Act a provision restricting the travel to the US of those responsible for, and party to her “persecution” and imprisonment.

“My gratitude to the US Congress is overwhelming...This latest development signals the fact that impunity cannot last and that one way or another, justice will catch up with those who choose to do injustice to others,” De Lima said in a statement.

She said this also signifies a solid recognition by the US government that she is a clear victim of political persecution.

She said complementary to the law which denies issuance or cancels existing US travel visas to Philippine government officials involved in her imprisonment, is proposed US Senate Foreign Relations Resolution 142 which, among others, calls on the US President Donald Trump to implement the sanctions provided in the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on her persecutors and members of state security forces and other Philippine government officials responsible for alleged human rights violations, specifically within the context of Duterte’s drug war.

“More than denying travel visas to subject Philippine officials, GloMag also imposes the freezing and forfeiture of their US assets, properties, and bank accounts. Once this is also implemented, we will witness how the world of human rights violators in the Philippine government increasingly shrinks. This will teach them that human rights is not a domestic concern, but a universal interest that affects the security of all nations, regardless of where the violations occur,” she said.

She said systematic and widespread violation of human rights is not an exercise of sovereignty or independence but a crime against humanity that must be condemned and punished with sanctions by the community of nations, as it is now being punished by the US Congress.

“It is only a matter of time before the European Union, Canada, and other nations follow suit in imposing sanctions on Duterte, his officials and their cohorts. Human rights is fighting back! Accountability is coming!” she said. 

De Lima earlier cited the initial list of personalities whom she recalled have contributed in her illegal arrest and unjust detention including President Rodrigo Duterte, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, former Presidential Communications Operations Office official Mocha Uson, Sass Rogando Sasot, and RJ Nieto, former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Solicitor General Jose Calida, Public Attorneys Office chief Persida Acosta, Sandra Cam, Dante Jimenez, Representatives Rey Umali and Rudy Fariñas.

De Lima has been in detention over drug charges since February 2017. She has repeatedly denied the charges against her. — RSJ, GMA News