Palace slams international group for comments

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday accused the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) of interfering with the Philippines’ domestic affairs after the group called for the release of detained Sen. Leila de Lima and expressed concern over the revival of cases against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

During its 139th Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU reiterated its call on Philippine authorities to release De Lima immediately and to abandon the legal proceedings against her. While De Lima is in jail over drug-related charges, the IPU stressed that the steps taken against her were in response to her vocal opposition to President Duterte’s war on drugs, including her denunciation of his alleged responsibility for extrajudicial killings.

The IPU also expressed deep concern over the revival of rebellion and coup d’état charges against Trillanes even if he and his companions have been granted amnesty.

The group said Duterte’s “exclusive preoccupation” with Trillanes’ situation gave “serious weight” to the allegation that this is a targeted attempt to silence the senator.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Office of the President regards IPU’s recent resolutions and decisions on the cases of De Lima and Trillanes as an “affront to the core” of the Philippines’ state principles.

Membership withdrawal

As this developed, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said she has recommended to her counterpart Senate President Vicente Sotto III the Philippines’ “withdrawal of membership” from the IPU.

“Since this is the second time they did it (to my knowledge), I am recommending to the Senate, which heads the delegation, that we withdraw our membership with the IPU,” she told reporters in a chance interview. 

Arroyo, a former president who is now a congresswoman from her home province Pampanga, recalled that the IPU “did the same thing” when former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III in 2017 objected to its interference in Manila’s domestic affairs.