Palace tells IPU: Stay out of De Lima, Trillanes cases

The Philippine government has called on the InterParliamentary Union (IPU) to refrain from commenting further on the cases against Senators Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the resolutions of the global group of lawmakers on the cases of the detained senators are "an affront to the core of our state's principles."

Last week, the IPU issued separate resolutions on the cases of De Lima and Trillanes, both staunch critics of the Duterte administration.

The IPU is looking to send a team to monitor the cases against the two senators. De Lima has been detained for her alleged involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison while Trillanes' amnesty has been revoked.

Panelo said the decision of the IPU to intervene in the Philippines' domestic affairs puts the country in a "bad light" in the international community.

"It is apparent this organization of foreign parliamentarians does not respect the ongoing proceedings being conducted by our courts of justice when it reached an incredible solution on the cases involving senators De Lima and Trillanes," Panelo said.

In its resolution, the IPU reiterated its call to the relevant authorities to abandon the legal proceedings against De Lima as there is no serious evidence against her.

The group said it "remains disturbed at the public campaign of vilification by the highest state authorities against Senator De Lima, which portrays her as an 'immoral woman' and as guilty, even though a trial has yet to commence."

The IPU also expressed concern that Trillanes is facing renewed charges of rebellion in connection to incidents that occurred in 2003 and 2007. Trillanes was granted amnesty for those mutinies in 2011.

President Rodrigo Duterte's proclamation revoking the amnesty granted to the senator "give serious weight to the allegation that this is a targeted attempt to silence Senator Trillanes," the IPU said. —