ASEAN parliamentarians group seeks prexy bets' pledge to free De Lima

A group of parliamentarians in Southeast Asia has called on presidential candidates in the Philippines to publicly pledge the release of detained Senator Leila de Lima should they win in the upcoming local and national elections.

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) made the appeal in an open letter where they also invited netizens from the region to join their advocacy through social media and the use of the hashtag #PledgeToFreeLeila.

“People who value democracy in the Philippines and elsewhere are outraged at this gross miscarriage of justice. They can use social media to express their discontent and ask the next President to try and right the many wrongs done to Senator De Lima and release her as soon as they assume the presidency,” Charles Santiago, APHR chairperson, said.

De Lima, an opposition senator, has been detained since February 2017 after being accused of abetting the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison when she was secretary of the Department of Justice during the previous administration.

Of the three cases filed against De Lima, one has already been dismissed by the Muntinlupa court.

A vocal critic of the Duterte administration, De Lima has maintained her innocence, saying her detention and the accusations leveled against her were part of political persecution.

According to APHR, the charges against De Lima were “politically motivated,” noting her involvement in the Senate investigation of the alleged extrajudicial killings under President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

It also cited an opinion from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in November 2018 claiming that De Lima's detention “lacks a legal basis” and is a “form of reprisal due to her human rights work.”

“There cannot be any doubt of Senator de Lima’s innocence as well as her commitment to democracy and human rights. Releasing her should be one of the first priorities of the next President if they want to restore a modicum of justice and rule of law in the government of the country,” said Santiago.

Despite detainment, De Lima is seeking reelection in the May 9 elections under the slate of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. —Sundy Locus/KBK, GMA News