US Senate asked not to ‘meddle’ with PH justice system

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The US Senate should refrain from “meddling” into the justice system of the Philippines, a Cabinet official said Friday.

This came after the US Senate passed a resolution calling for sanctions on Philippine officials behind the detention of opposition Senator Leila De Lima.

“‘Yung mga statements na ganyan, at mga resolutions na ganyan we deemed it to be pangingialam. Parang dinidiktahan tayo dun sa kung paanong patakbuhin ang justice system sa atin,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles told reporters in Malacañang.

(Those statements, those resolutions we deemed it as an intrusion. They are dictating us how to run our justice system.)

“Independent tayo eh. Sovereign state tayo so don’t meddle in our sovereignty,” he added.

(We are independent. We’re a sovereign state so don’t meddle in our sovereignty.)

Nograles insisted that De Lima’s case underwent proper judicial process prescribed by the Philippine Constitution.

De Lima, a staunch Duterte administration critic, is detained for allegedly abetting an illegal drug trade during her term as a justice secretary in the previous administration. She maintained her innocence and accused the government of fabricating the cases against her.

The US Senate on Thursday passed a resolution urging US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to members of the Philippine officials responsible for the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country and for “orchestrating” De Lima’s “arrest and prolonged detention.”

The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act allows the US to impose sanctions – including denying of travel visas and the freezing and forfeiture of US assets – to foreigners proven to have committed human rights violations or acts of significant corruption.

Edited by KGA