Pangilinan urges gov’t to free De Lima

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — “Let’s end 2018 right” by releasing detained Senator Leila de Lima, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said on Friday.

De Lima has been detained at Camp Crame in Quezon City over drug charges, which she repeatedly called as “trumped up charges.”

But in the spirit of Christmas, Pangilinan urged the government to heed the call of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to free De Lima.

In a 13-page Opinion, the UN council described De Lima’s detention as “arbitrary” and in violation of several provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

READ: UNHRC asks Philippine gov’t to release detained Senator De Lima

“In the spirit of Christmas, we urge the government to heed the call of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to free Senator Leila De Lima,” Pangilinan, president of the Liberal party, said in a statement.

“Otherwise, she would spend Christmas for the second year in unjust detention, away from family and friends,” he said.

Pangilinan lamented that for the past 665 days, De Lima has faced “political persecution” and has been “deprived” of rights due her as an individual and as elected senator of the Republic.

“Instead, courtesy is extended to convicted criminals and plunderers are set free,” he said.

“Let’s end 2018 right. Free Leila now,” said the senator.

Pangilinan and De Lima are both members of the minority bloc in the Senate. /je