‘Hilaw pa ‘yan:’ Duterte yet to comment on proposed US travel ban vs. PH officials

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the 69th National Executive Board Meeting of the League of Cities of the Philippines at the DusitD2 Davao Hotel in Davao City on September 27, 2019. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte chose not to comment for now on the proposal of two American senators to ban from the United States (US) those Philippine officials behind the detention of opposition Senator Leila de Lima.

“I have the best adjective for that pero at this time, I will just… Hilaw pa ‘yan eh (It is still unripe). At the — hilaw pa ‘yan (it is still unripe). When it becomes ripe, then I will say my piece,” Duterte said during his press conference on Tuesday, October 1, prior to his departure for Russia.

It was US Senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy who put forward the proposal which, the former said, has been approved by the US Senate appropriations committee.

Good to see the Senate Appropriations Committee pass my amendment with @SenatorLeahy today to prohibit entry to any Philippine Government Officials involved in the politically motivated imprisonment of Filipina Senator Leila de Lima in 2017. We must #FreeLeilaNow.

— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) September 26, 2019

The President, however, does not consider the move an “interference” because it was just a “proposal” which has yet to be acted upon by the US Congress.

“These are the voices of members of a committee. And if that committee will report the resolution to the plenary and the plenary would adopt or join them, and that would be the act of Congress,” he said.

“I do not deal individually with the congressman or senators there. Hindi pa hinog ‘yan (It is not ripe yet). It is not an act of state. It does not carry the mandate of the entire Senate,” he added.

But once it passed the US Senate, then, Duterte said, it would be the time for him to raise the issue to the US State Department or to his counterpart, US President Donald Trump.

Contrary to the Chief Executive’s remarks, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo described last week the proposal as a “brazen attempt” to intrude into the Philippines’ legal processes and “outright disrespect” to Filipinos’ clamor for law and order.

“We continue to mind our own business, as each nation has enough problems that its government should focus on. We hope that the Senate panel of these United States of America shares the same policy,” Panelo said in a statement.

De Lima, one of the vocal critics of Duterte, has been detained at Camp Crame in Quezon City for more than two years due to drug-related charges which she repeatedly denied.