By Hannah Torregoza
The camp of Senator Leila de Lima has confirmed that the senator is still barred by the Philippine National Police (PNP) from receiving any visitors due to its strict policy.
Senator Leila De Lima
(File Photo / Jansen Romero / Manila Bulletin) De Lima’s chief of staff Fhillip Sawali, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno and Fr. Flavie Villanueva disclosed this on Friday when they attempted to visit the senator at the PNP Custodial Center. Sawali said they went to the Custodial Center with the hope of seeing the senator since it is already June 5 and Metro Manila has already shifted to general community quarantine. But after an hour of waiting they were unable to see the senator. The last time they saw De Lima, they said, was last April 25. “The last time anyone from Sen. De Lima's camp was allowed to see the detained senator personally was April 25, 2020,” De Lima’s camp said in a statement. “This confirms the incommunicado detention of De Lima, a gross violation of her Constitutional rights as well as international human rights principles against unreasonable restrictions on the right of meaningful contact with the outside world,” they added. Diokno said they will continue to support and fight for justice for the detained senator. “Dapat ay igalang nila ang karapatang pantao ng lahat, at si Sen. Leila naman ay presumed innocent dahil naka-pending pa lang naman ang kaso niya (They should respect De Lima’s human rights because she is presumed innocent while the cases filed against her are still pending),” Diokno said referring to the drug charges that were hurled against the lawmaker. “She should be treated as such,” he stressed. The PNP leadership had earlier confirmed that visits for De Lima is “temporarily restricted” due to the biosafety measures they imposed during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to prevent the spread of the disease inside PNP camps and police stations. “Visits are temporarily restricted under ECQ/MECQ as part of biosafety measures to prevent spread of COVID-19 inside PNP camps and police stations,” PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said. The Senate minority bloc had also earlier called out PNP chief Police General Archie Gamboa to reconsider its actions as incommunicado detention or solitary confinement is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution and a violation of the precept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Senator Leila De Lima(File Photo / Jansen Romero / Manila Bulletin) De Lima’s chief of staff Fhillip Sawali, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno and Fr. Flavie Villanueva disclosed this on Friday when they attempted to visit the senator at the PNP Custodial Center. Sawali said they went to the Custodial Center with the hope of seeing the senator since it is already June 5 and Metro Manila has already shifted to general community quarantine. But after an hour of waiting they were unable to see the senator. The last time they saw De Lima, they said, was last April 25. “The last time anyone from Sen. De Lima's camp was allowed to see the detained senator personally was April 25, 2020,” De Lima’s camp said in a statement. “This confirms the incommunicado detention of De Lima, a gross violation of her Constitutional rights as well as international human rights principles against unreasonable restrictions on the right of meaningful contact with the outside world,” they added. Diokno said they will continue to support and fight for justice for the detained senator. “Dapat ay igalang nila ang karapatang pantao ng lahat, at si Sen. Leila naman ay presumed innocent dahil naka-pending pa lang naman ang kaso niya (They should respect De Lima’s human rights because she is presumed innocent while the cases filed against her are still pending),” Diokno said referring to the drug charges that were hurled against the lawmaker. “She should be treated as such,” he stressed. The PNP leadership had earlier confirmed that visits for De Lima is “temporarily restricted” due to the biosafety measures they imposed during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to prevent the spread of the disease inside PNP camps and police stations. “Visits are temporarily restricted under ECQ/MECQ as part of biosafety measures to prevent spread of COVID-19 inside PNP camps and police stations,” PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said. The Senate minority bloc had also earlier called out PNP chief Police General Archie Gamboa to reconsider its actions as incommunicado detention or solitary confinement is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution and a violation of the precept of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.