European Liberals to seek EU action vs De Lima arrest, worsening rights situation - Main contents

Source: J.C. (Hans) van Baalen i, published on Saturday, February 25 2017, 12:03.

MANILA, Philippines -- Leading European liberal politicians denounced the arrest of Senator Leila de Lima and will seek action from the European Union against what they called President Rodrigo Duterte’s “illiberal state.”

A press statement from Liberal International, the “world federation of Liberal and progressive democratic political parties,” said European Hans van Baalen would call the attention of the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini to the Philippine situation.

The statement was relayed to media by Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, which is a full member of LI.

Van Baalen, the Liberal International “president of honor” and president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Europe Party, said they were “deeply concerned about the arrest of the Liberal Party senator Leila de Lima in particular and the deteriorating human rights situation in general.”

“The Philippines, under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, is turning rapidly into an illiberal state, where there is no respect for the law whatsoever,” Baalen said. “I have asked written questions to HRVP Mogherini in order to see what action the EU can take.”

Markus Löning, chairman of the Liberal International Human Rights Committee and Germany’s Commissioner for Human Rights from 2010 to 2014, said: “Leila de Lima is a highly respected human rights activist fighting against corruption and for the rule of law when she was the Minister of Justice and now as an elected member of the Senate of the Philippines.”

“The president of the Philippines must respect and defend the laws of his country and human rights. That is his obligation towards his own people,” he said. “Liberals across the world will stand up for Leila de Lima’s immediate release.”

InterAksyon.com, 25 Februari 2017

European Liberals to seek EU action vs De Lima arrest, worsening rights situation