US Senate OKs reso urging Magnitsky sanctions on those who ‘orchestrated’ De Lima detention

The United States Senate has approved a resolution calling on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act—such as revocation of US visas and freezing of assets—against Philippine officials and security forces "responsible for orchestrating the arrest and prolonged detention of" Senator Leila De Lima.

The website of the US legislative branch stated that Senate Resolution 142, condemning the Philippine government for the continued detention of De Lima and calling for the dropping of charges against her and her immediate release, has been “agreed to in Senate with an amendment and an amended preamble with Voice Vote” on January 8. 

In December, the US Senate foreign relations committee passed the resolution and it was then placed on the Senate legislative calendar.

The resolution, filed in April 2019, also condemned the arrest and detention of human rights defenders and political leaders and harassment, arrest, unjust judicial proceedings against media and journalists, particularly Rappler and its CEO Maria Ressa.

It further condemned the Philippine government for its alleged role in state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings by the police and other armed individuals as part of its anti-drug campaign, and also seeks the imposition of sanctions on "members of the security forces and officials of the Government of the Philippines responsible for extrajudicial killings."

The resolution considers De Lima a prisoner of conscience as she is “detained solely on account of her political views and the legitimate exercise of her freedom of expression.”

If 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.

It also said that the Philippine government should recognize the importance of human rights defenders and their work and allow them to operate freely without fear of reprisal and guarantee the right to freedom of the press, and to drop all the charges against Ressa and Rappler.

The resolution was filed by Senator Ed Markey, who was one of the three senators ordered banned by President Rodrigo Duterte from entering the Philippines because of calls to free De Lima.

Also named in the resolution were Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy and Republicans Marco Rubio and Marsha Blackburn.

Durbin and Leahy introduced the provision in the United States 2020 federal budget prohibiting the entry of Philippine government officials involved in the detention of De Lima.

All three Democrats have been banned from entering the Philippines as a result of their calling for the release of the detained lawmaker, who has been one of Duterte's strongest critics. — BM, GMA News