Manila Bulletin
Senate minority asks gov't to heed UN body recommendation to order release of De Lima
Senate minority asks gov't to heed UN body recommendation to order release of De Lima
Senate minority asks gov't to heed UN body recommendation to order release of De Lima
Published Feb 8, 2019 12:54 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
The Senate minority bloc has urged the Philippine government to heed the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council – Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNHRC-WGAD) regarding the situation of their colleague, Senator Leila de Lima.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon
(Senate of the Philippines Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) The minority group has filed Senate Resolution No. 1019, in which they urged the appropriate government agencies to comply with the recommendations of UNHRC-WGAD in its 13-page Opinion adopted during its 82nd session last Aug. 24 and was made public only last November 30. The resolution was signed by Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Francis N. Pangilinan, Antonio F. Trillanes, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros two days before Congress takes a recess for the mid-term election. “The Philippines as a member of the United Nations should always endeavor to ‘fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in according with the present Charter’ as mandated by Article 2 paragraph 2 of the UN Charter,” they stated in the resolution. “The Philippines as a member of the UNHRC must faithfully comply with its obligation to promote, protect and uphold the human rights of all regardless of sex, race, religion, or political beliefs, and opinions,” they added. In its decision, the UNHRC-WGAD considered De Lima’s pre-trial detention as “targeted and discriminatory,” “is devoid of legal basis,” and therefore, should be freed immediately. The UN working panel has recommended to the Philippine government to take necessary steps to remedy the detained senator's situation and conform it with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center as she faces drug charges filed against her which she said are trumped up charges leveled against her by the Duterte administration. Likewise, the UN body also asked the Philippine government to immediately release De Lima, a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, from unjust detention and accord her an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, including her reinstatement in the positions from which she was ousted. The UN working panel also asked the government to ensure full and independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding De Lima’s arbitrary deprivation of liberty and take appropriate measures against those responsible for violating her right. However, the minority senators noted that since it has issued its decision, the UN working panel has not received any reply to its request from the Philippine government. The UN working group also referred De Lima's case to three UN special rapporteurs to investigate the violations committed against her after finding sufficient grounds that violate her rights as a duly-elected senator and a human rights defender.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon(Senate of the Philippines Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) The minority group has filed Senate Resolution No. 1019, in which they urged the appropriate government agencies to comply with the recommendations of UNHRC-WGAD in its 13-page Opinion adopted during its 82nd session last Aug. 24 and was made public only last November 30. The resolution was signed by Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Francis N. Pangilinan, Antonio F. Trillanes, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros two days before Congress takes a recess for the mid-term election. “The Philippines as a member of the United Nations should always endeavor to ‘fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in according with the present Charter’ as mandated by Article 2 paragraph 2 of the UN Charter,” they stated in the resolution. “The Philippines as a member of the UNHRC must faithfully comply with its obligation to promote, protect and uphold the human rights of all regardless of sex, race, religion, or political beliefs, and opinions,” they added. In its decision, the UNHRC-WGAD considered De Lima’s pre-trial detention as “targeted and discriminatory,” “is devoid of legal basis,” and therefore, should be freed immediately. The UN working panel has recommended to the Philippine government to take necessary steps to remedy the detained senator's situation and conform it with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center as she faces drug charges filed against her which she said are trumped up charges leveled against her by the Duterte administration. Likewise, the UN body also asked the Philippine government to immediately release De Lima, a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, from unjust detention and accord her an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, including her reinstatement in the positions from which she was ousted. The UN working panel also asked the government to ensure full and independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding De Lima’s arbitrary deprivation of liberty and take appropriate measures against those responsible for violating her right. However, the minority senators noted that since it has issued its decision, the UN working panel has not received any reply to its request from the Philippine government. The UN working group also referred De Lima's case to three UN special rapporteurs to investigate the violations committed against her after finding sufficient grounds that violate her rights as a duly-elected senator and a human rights defender.