MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Philippines, the case of senator Leila M. De Lima
14.3.2017 - (2017/2597(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Ignazio Corrao, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Isabella Adinolfi, Beatrix von Storch on behalf of the EFDD Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0193/2017
B8‑0199/2017
European Parliament resolution on the Philippines, the case of senator Leila M. De Lima
The European Parliament,
¾having regard to the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the EU (at the time the European Economic Community (EEC)) established on 12 May 1964 with the appointment of the Philippines Ambassador to the EEC,
¾having regard to the status of the Philippines as a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) following the signing of the Bangkok Declaration on 8 August 1967,
¾having regard to the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its
¾Having regard to HRW report "License to Kill’: Philippine Police Killings in Duterte’s ‘War on Drugs’" of 2 March 2017
¾Having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 15 September 2016 on the Philippines (2016/2880(RSP))
¾having regard to the EU guidelines on human rights,
¾having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
¾having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966,
¾having regard to Rules 135(5) and 123(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. Whereas on February 23 The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court released an arrest warrant for Senator Leila de Lima for drug charges in connection with her alleged links to the drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison
B. Whereas during her time as head of the Commission on Human Rights, de Lima led the investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings of an estimated 1,000 drug suspects in Davao, while Duterte was mayor of the city.
C. Whereas since the inauguration of President Duterte on June 30 2016 and his call for a "war on drugs", Philippine National police officers and unidentified vigilantes have killed over 7000 people.
D. Whereas the arrest of Philippine Senator Leila de Lima on what may be politically motivated charges is seen by NGOs as a widening of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” to include critics and political foes; whereas De Lima’s arrest followed a relentless government campaign of harassment and intimidation against her in response to her outspoken criticism of Duterte’s “war on drugs” and her demands for accountability
E. Whereas on 7 March 2017 the Philippine House of Representative voted to reinstate the death penalty for serious drug-related offences; whereas the bill still has to be signed by the president; whereas in December Duterte declared that, "There was death penalty before but nothing happened. Return that to me and I would do it every day: five or six (criminals). That's for real,";
F. Whereas the Duterte administration is also considering legislation that would lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from the present 15 to 9; whereas the government says this bill is aimed at combatting crime, particularly illegal drugs.
1. Is worried by Senator Leila de Lime being arrested because of what appears politically motivated charges in the midst of political persecution of those critics of the war on drugs; urges the government to drop these charges and release her immediately
2. Calls on Philippine authorities to grant Senator Leila de Lime a free and fair trial, that will give her the chance to prove her innocence; calls furthermore on the government to stop the political persecution of critics of the war on drugs
3. Calls on President Duterte, Philippine authorities and the government to immediately take all necessary steps to end extrajudicial executions in the anti-drug campaign, to publicly denounce extrajudicial killings and other abuses during the campaign and to refrain and cease public statements inciting security forces or general public to kill or attack drug dealers and users;
4. Calls for impartial inquiries and investigations to be carried out on the involvement of the Philippine National police and government officials and agents in unlawful killings and other abuses against criminal suspects,
5. Calls on all European institutions and officials as well as EU Member States to publicly criticize statements by Philippine government officials, including President Duterte, that appear to support extrajudicial executions and other unlawful crime control measures;
6. Calls on European institutions and EU Member States to actively support the establishment at the UN Human Rights Council of an independent international investigation into unlawful killings and other violations in the context of President Duterte’s “war on drugs”; calls on President Duterte to permit the visit of the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions and other UN experts to investigate alleged unlawful killings and other abuses in the anti-drug campaign;
7. Calls on the EU to revoke technical, financial, and other assistance to any security force implicated in widespread or systematic abuses and for which the government has not sought to hold those responsible to account;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of the Philippines, the governments of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.