24 February 2018 marks one year since Philippines Senator de Lima has been in detention. The IPU is deeply concerned about her long incarceration and, through its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, renews its call for her release. The IPU continues to believe that the legal steps taken against Senator de Lima are in response to her vocal opposition to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. It considers that there is no evidence to justify the criminal cases against Senator de Lima and therefore calls on the authorities to abandon these cases and to allow her to take up her full responsibilities as a Senator.
In line with the principle of parliamentary solidarity that underpins the work of the Committee, the IPU also calls on all national parliaments and their members to work in support of the speedy release of Senator de Lima and to help resolve the concerns that have arisen in her case.
