US lawmakers finally see Leila, get salutes from PNP this time

US Sen. Edward Markey INQUIRER PHOTO

The five American lawmakers who were prevented from visiting former Sen. Leila de Lima in detention on Thursday finally got to see her on Friday, after her lawyers secured two court orders allowing the lunchtime visit at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

This time, the delegation led by US Sen. Edward Markey enjoyed a warmer reception from De Lima’s custodians, with each of them receiving a salute, a fist bump and a “mabuhay” gesture—palm over chest with a head nod—from a police general at the gates of the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

It was a stark contrast from the treatment the US lawmakers received the day before when they were forced to wait in their coasters for 30 minutes, as US Embassy personnel and De Lima’s lawyers sought entry to the premises, only to be signaled to leave.

The Americans were told they couldn’t enter without court approval and because of the worsening COVID-19 situation at the camp.

READ: PNP bars US legislators’ visit to De Lima due to lack of authority from court

Overstayed

Friday’s visit was made possible by separate orders issued earlier that day by Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Judges Abraham Joseph Alcantara of Branch 204 and Romeo Buenaventura of Branch 256 granting the “extremely urgent motion” filed by De Lima’s lawyers on behalf of the US delegation.

Buenaventura’s order restricted the visiting hours for the delegation to between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, although the group ended up staying well past 1 p.m.

In his order, Alcantara did not specify a time limit, only saying he was allowing the request “subject to the visitation guidelines” of the PNP and “without prejudice to the liability of those visitors for any infraction punishable by law.”

Besides Markey, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific and is a vocal supporter of De Lima, her other visitors were District Representatives Alan Lowenthal and John Garamendi of California; Don Beyer of Virginia and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa.

The visit lasted more than an hour and the convoy left the camp at 1:15 p.m.

US Embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay confirmed that the US congressional delegation, who was received by President Marcos at Malacañang on Thursday afternoon, was able to meet with De Lima.

Markey, along with two other US senators, was banned by former President Rodrigo Duterte from entering the country two years ago after they sponsored a travel prohibition against officials with a role in De Lima’s incarceration in 2019.

No media coverage, including for online or social platforms, was allowed during the visit.

Gag order

There were also no immediate details from De Lima’s camp on what the group talked about, as the court had issued a gag order preventing her from making any comment or speech with any reference to her pending drug trading cases.

De Lima, who lost her reelection bid in the May polls, has been detained at the PNP facility since February 2017 on charges she was involved in the drug trade at New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City during her term as justice secretary under the Aquino administration.

Several key witnesses have recanted their earlier claims against her, fueling the clamor of human rights groups for the Department of Justice to review her two remaining cases and to finally set her free.

Alcantara’s order made it clear who was to blame for what happened on Thursday, when the US lawmakers were refused admission to the facility.

The judge noted that the visit had been planned beforehand, with Markey’s office informing PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. of the visit in a letter dated August 9. In that letter, the US senator asked for permission to meet De Lima.

“However, despite follow-ups, the PNP has not timely responded to the request,” the order said, citing the motion of De Lima’s lawyers.