Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) barred a foreign legislator from visiting Senator Leila de Lima in jail — she was arrested in February for having allegedly protected local and foreign drug lords who continued illegal drug trade at the national penitentiary — while she was justice secretary from 2010 to 2016.
“Presumption of innocence” should be warranted to detainees, Liberal International president Juli Minoves, told reporters while he was prevented from entering the PNP custodial centre in Camp Crame, in suburban Quezon City.
“My purpose is to inquire about her detention and knowing politically how things are doing in the Philippines,” said Minoves, adding that preventing him from visiting De Lima mirrors Philippines’ judicial system.
“They (the police) have used an administrative excuse that they cannot find the letter (of request for the visit which was sent five days earlier),” said Minoves, adding. “This doesn’t happen normally in democracy, this only happens in regimes that are not democratic.”
“We, of course, raised the issue of Sen. De Lima in the United Nations so obviously we are interested in having contact directly with her to understand better how she is doing; if she is well treated and how her detention is,” Minoves explained.
The Liberal Party of De Lima and former President Benigno Aquino is part of Liberal International, said Minoves.
Markus Loening, chair of Liberal International’s Human Rights Committee; and Wolfgang Heinze, president of Friedrich Naumann Foundation-Philippines were allowed to visit De Lima on Saturday.
Representatives from the European Parliament subcommittee on human rights were also allowed to visit De Lima on Wednesday.
Four of them, Soraya Post, Adam Kósa, Josef Weidenholzer, and Rikke Karlsson said they wanted De Lima to be allowed to vote on legislative proposals.
De Lima has denied involvement in illegal drug trade in the Philippines, adding she is politically persecuted.
