UN experts to probe alleged human rights violations vs De Lima

MANILA, Philippines — Three United Nations special rapporteurs will investigate the alleged human rights violations against detained Sen. Leila de Lima, her camp said Friday.

De Lima’s camp said the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; and Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers would look into the senator’s case.

The UN’s move came after the senator asked the UN Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) to look into her case.

She is currently detained at the custodial center in Camp Crame in Quezon City over drug cases, which she has repeatedly said were “trumped-up” charges.

“The Working Group expresses its serious concerns about the unfavorable remarks made publicly by the President and his allies against her after she expressed her intention to investigate the extrajudicial killings under the so-called war on drugs,” the UN body said.

“The Working Group concludes that the violations of Ms. De Lima’s rights to a fair trial are of such gravity as to render her deprivation of liberty arbitrary,” it added.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Thursday said Malacañang was already “fed up” with the practice of “using the UN as a platform to parrot baseless criticisms” from the government’s detractors.

READ: Palace hits UN expert for asking gov’t to stop attacks vs rights defenders

“For too long, the UN has been used by these detractors as a tool for vilification,” he said. /je