Inter-Parliamentary Union to review De Lima’s cases

MANILA — Members of the InterParliamentary Union are in Manila for a fact-finding mission on Senator Leila De Lima’s drug cases and her detention because of them.

“We are here on behalf of the IPU the Inter-Parliamentary Union – Human Rights Committee to see and assess the situation of the detention for Senator Leila De Lima,” IPU Committee on Human Rights President Fawzi Koofi said in a recorded statement on Monday evening.

Koofi met with Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday. She said Pimentel, president of the administration PDP-Laban party, has “only been cooperative with the committee.”

The IPU panel is scheduled to meet Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and other government officials yesterday to gather first-hand information regarding De Lima’s case.

The committee will also visit De Lima to get information about her arrest.

The IPU is composed of elected national legislative bodies from across the world, including the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines. Among its activities is "[contributing] to the defense and promotion of human rights – an essential factor of parliamentary democracy and development."

The committee will also visit De Lima to get information about her arrest.