MANILA – Philippine government officials who were involved in the “politically-motivated” detention of Sen. Leila de Lima will be prohibited from entering the United States (US), according to a proposed US Senate bill.
US Senator Richard Durbin welcomed on Friday the Senate appropriations committee’s approval of the amendment he proposed with Sen. Patrick Leahy in the Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.
“Good to see the Senate Appropriations Committee pass my amendment with @SenatorLeahy (US Senator Patrick Leahy) today to prohibit entry to any Philippine Government Officials involved in the politically motivated imprisonment of Filipina Senator Leila de Lima in 2017,” Durbin in a tweet said.
“We must #FreeLeilaNow,” he added.
Durbin, in a resolution filed with four other US senators before, called on the Philippine government to release de Lima, who was detained for he alleged involvement in illegal drug trade.
Others who petitioned with Durbin were Senators Marco Rubio, Ed Markey, Marsha Blackburn, and Chris Coons.
De Lima has been detained since Feb. 2017 at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame over the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison during her term as Department of Justice secretary.
The opposition senator denied involvement in the illegal drug trade, saying the charges against her were part of political persecution by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration./PN
