Muling nanawagan ang international community sa pamahalaan ng Pilipinas para palayain ang nakakulong na si Sen. Leila de Lima.
Sa isang statement hinamon ni US Sen. Bob Menendez ang mga bansang nang-harass at iligal na nagkulong sa ilang kababaihan dahil sa mga akusasyong wala naman daw sapat na basehan.
Kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng International Women’s Day sa Amerika, binanggit ng US senator ang kaso ni De Lima bilang isa sa gumawa ng ingay matapos maglunsad ng mga imbestigasyon sa sinasabing extrajudicial killings ng Duterte administrasyon.
“On this International Women’s Day as we reflect on the achievements of women and reflect on the work that remains to be done, I call on all of us to redouble our efforts to free women political prisoners. Governments have the responsibility to promote the safety, wellbeing and fundamental rights of their citizens,†ani Menendez.
“I call on governments who are unjustly detaining, harassing, and torturing women for exercising their fundamental rights to immediately release these politically-motivated detentions. And as they continue to struggle, let us all take up the mantle of their cause.â€
Naniniwala ang mambabatas mula Estados Unidos na hakbang ito ng pangulo para patahimikin ang kanyang mga kritiko.
“As one of the only leaders bold enough to oppose President Duterte’s ‘war on drugs,’ she has faced prolonged arbitrary detention.”
“President Duterte has sought to silence her courageous voice as she spoke out against widespread human rights violations, including thousands of extrajudicial executions of mostly poor and marginalized people.”
Nauna ng itinanggi ni Duterte na may kinalaman siya sa pagkaka-detine ni De Lima dahil sa drug charges, gayundin sa pagpapatalsik sa isa pa niyang babaeng kritiko na si dating Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
“Similarly, unfortunately, the repressive governments detaining these women are just a small fraction of the governments around the world that lock up women for exercising their fundamental freedoms,” huling mensahe ng US senator.
