ASEAN human rights delegates barred from seeing De Lima

Delegates of the ASEAN Parliament for Human Rights (APHR) expressed disappointment on being barred from visiting detained Senator Leila De Lima in Camp Crame despite having complied with a 10-day visiting notice.

APHR’s Tian Chua and Charles Santiago went to the Philippines from Malaysia specifically to meet De Lima but were denied the chance to speak with the senator.

Santiago said in an interview that denying them a chance to visit De Lima reaffirmed their beliefs that the senator is “unjustifiably detained.”

“Seeking an appointment with a fellow legislator who has now been incarcerated and is in detention is something that we want to do, and not allowing us to visit her actually further affirms our beliefs that she is unjustifiably detained, otherwise the government doesn’t have to worry about this,” Santiago said.

“I and my colleagues are very disappointed that our entry was not granted despite us giving an ample notice before the visit,” added Chua.

(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 09/ 20 / 17)