De Lima lauds US ban on her jailers: ‘Most wonderful Christmas blessing’

MANILA, Philippines — For Senator Leila De Lima, the United States approval of a provision allowing a denial of entry on those involved in her detention is the “most wonderful Christmas blessing.”

De Lima said the US government’s move is a recognition that she was indeed a victim of political persecution. She thanked the US for such action.

“This latest development signals the fact that impunity cannot last and that one way or another, justice will catch up with those who choose to do injustice to others,” the detained senator said in a statement.

“Complementary to this law, which denies issuance or cancels existing US travel visas to Philippine government officials involved in my wrongful imprisonment, is the proposed US Senate Foreign Relations Resolution 142 which, among others, calls on the US President to implement the sanctions provided in the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on my persecutors and members of state security forces and other Philippine government officials responsible for human rights violations, specifically within the context of Duterte’s drug war,” she added.

De Lima said the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act not only denies travel visas to the concerned officials since it also imposes the freezing and forfeiture of their US assets, properties, and bank accounts.

“Once this is also implemented, we will witness how the world of human rights violators in the Philippine government increasingly shrinks,” the senator said.

“This will teach them that human rights [are] not a domestic concern, but a universal interest that affects the security of all nations, regardless of where the violations occur,” she added.

Further, De Lima said that crimes against humanity, including those experienced under the Duterte administration, should be sanctioned by the community of nations.

She argued that “systematic and widespread violation of human rights” is not an exercise of independence.

“It is only a matter of time before the European Union, Canada, and other nations follow suit in imposing sanctions on Duterte, his officials and their cohorts,” De Lima said.

Under the US law’s prohibition, the “Secretary of State shall apply sub-section (c) to foreign government officials about whom the Secretary has credible information have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of: (1) Mustafa Kassem, an American citizen imprisoned by the Government of Egypt and whose health is failing; and (2) Senator Leila De Lima who was arrested in the Philippines in 2017.”

The provision was specifically contained in the 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, December 20.

Edited by KGA