Philippine president Duterte tops De Lima list of people she wants banned in US

MANILA, Feb 25, 2020, PhilStar. President Duterte leads the personalities detained Sen. Leila de Lima wanted banned in the US for her detention over the past three years. Ferdie Magalang, the senator’s media officer, confirmed to Philstar.com that a “longer and more detailed” list than that which the senator released last October was submitted to the US embassy in the second week of January, The Philippine Star reported.

The embassy would then have sent the document to the US State Department, which will be responsible to implement a US budget provision that prohibits entry to US shores of people responsible for De Lima’s “wrongful imprisonment.” The embassy has yet to respond to our inquiries as of this posting.

While he declined to provide the complete list, Magalang responded “yes” to Philstar.com through a text message when we asked whether “all those on the initial list are on the final list.”

The initial list of individuals, contained in Dispatch from Crame 612 last October 17, named Duterte and his spokesperson, Salvador Panelo, as people who orchestrated her “persecution.” “My persecution started with a daily public media demolition by none other than Duterte, using all his powers as President,” she said then.

At the time, the senator also included in the list Solicitor General Jose Calida, former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, public attorney’s office chief Persida Acosta, and former Lower House legislators Reynaldo Umali and Rudy Farinas.

These people, the senator said then, were responsible for the “public circus” that is the Lower House investigation into her supposed illegal drug links. Testimonies in the House probe later on served as basis for illegal drug charges against De Lima.

De Lima, who marked her third year in detention at Camp Crame on Monday, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Mocha Uson, deputy executive director at the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, and Sandra Cam of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office were also part of De Lima’s initial list, as well as bloggers Sass Rogando Sasot and RJ Nieto.

Slammed

In a message to reporters on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said: “I trust that the US State Department will exercise its own independent evaluation and exercise prudence and circumspection.”

De Lima’s list will serve as basis for the implementation of a US budget provision that imposes a US travel against people she considers her “persecutors.” Duterte has repeatedly said he would not travel to the US during his term as president.

A separate US resolution was likewise passed calling for the same ban as well as financial sanctions against the same people. The resolution invoked a bipartisan law called the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act which affords the US government power to sanction those deemed to be human rights violators.

Rising tensions

If implemented, a US travel ban on government officials would only increase tensions between the Philippines and its oldest ally.

When the US budget law was passed, Malacanang slammed the provision on the travel ban, calling it a violation of Philippine sovereignty. Months after, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s US visa was canceled in January, although it is unclear whether the move was an implementation of that provision.

Duterte then retaliated by ordering the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US. The cancellation of military alliance will take effect within 180 days from the receipt of notice by the US earlier this month.