MANILA, Philippines — After a series of “friendly” meetings with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his allies, US lawmakers visiting here were finally able to visit former opposition Senator Leila de Lima in his detention area inside the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The visit to De Lima by US government officials on Friday August 19 comes a day after they were refused by the PNP, which asked them to obtain prior authorization from the court.
The US delegation was led by Democratic Senator Edward Markey.
Markey and his fellow congressmen on Thursday were already near the entrance to the PNP detention center at Camp Crame, where De Lima is being held, when they were arrested. In addition to demanding clearance from judicial authorities, the PNP also said there were 15 active cases of COVID-19 inside Camp Crame.
It was unusual for the PNP to seek a court order before visiting the detained former senator. Previously, the PNP detention center had jurisdiction over visitation permits.
From Lima was held inside the PNP detention center since 2017 for alleged drug links.
The US delegation’s visit continued after Branch 204 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Muntinlupa City granted De Lima’s request to allow US officials to visit him.
Before meeting De Lima, the American delegation visited the president and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday. They also met with the President of the Chamber, Martin Romualdez.
“The leader of the US delegation, Senator Edward John Markey, listens to President Martin G. Romualdez reveal in his speech that he believes that the close and friendly ties of the US-PH will remain strong under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.,” the House tweeted. representatives.
De Lima’s explanation
In a Saturday, Aug. 20, statement, De Lima lag behind and said “someone” in the Marcos administration was concerned about his meetings with foreign officials.
“For some reason, someone, even in this administration, is still concerned about my meeting with high-level foreign delegations concerned about my fate as a prisoner of conscience, more than a month after Duterte already left Malacañang,” De Lima said in his manuscript. statement.
She added, “Whether this administration or anyone in this administration would needlessly risk a minor diplomatic melee just to continue Duterte’s persecution policy is beyond me. It just doesn’t make sense. He accomplished nothing but embarrass the Marcos Jr. administration for no reasonable gain, except perhaps to endear himself to my persecutors.
In his letter, De Lima explained that his camp and U.S. lawmakers communicated with the PNP beforehand for the visit. She said the US Embassy made a request through a Note Verbale to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which the latter endorsed to the PNP.
De Lima said he sent a separate letter addressed to the leader of the PNP to signify his compliance with the visit.
“I felt it was clearly a case of an unfair rule change in the middle of the game,” she said. “What happened was that the PNP unilaterally and unceremoniously decided to require a court order for the visitation without notice to either me or US lawmakers.”
The former senator noted that the PNP’s guidelines and procedures regarding those in its custody do not require a court order.
Court order
The court allowed the delegation to travel to De Lima on Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Among the conditions laid down by the court were that no video or audio recordings would be allowed and that visitors would follow the guidelines of the PNP.
In the court order, De Lima told RTC Section 204 that the visit had been arranged in advance and coordinated with the PNP through a letter sent by his side on August 10. However, despite follow-ups, “the PNP did not respond to the request in time.”
The order adds that Markey sent a letter to PNP Police Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. conveying their request to surrender in De Lima on August 18. visit a person in custody at the PNP detention centre.
“A foreign national who wishes to visit a PUPC must submit a letter of intent to the head of the PNP at least 2 weeks in advance. The letter of intent must be endorsed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on a note verbale from the Embassy concerned. The request should include the purpose, itinerary, basic biographical information and a copy of valid IDs/passports (color copy).
Markey was among the sponsors of a US Senate resolution, which condemned De Lima’s arrest. The same resolution also denounced former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and the harassment of the media in the Philippines, particularly Nobel Peace Prize laureate and CEO of Rappler, Maria Ressa.
The resolution angered Duterte, who had previously banned Markey from visiting the country. In May of this year, US senators renewed their calls for the release of De Lima. – Rappler.com
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