US senator slams ‘irrational threat’ vs Americans

MANILA, Philippines — United States Sen. Patrick Leahy slammed yesterday the government’s “irrational threat” to require visas for US citizens who want to enter the Philippines.

He said the Philippine government should release Sen. Leila de Lima instead of “irrationally” threatening to enforce visa restrictions on visiting Americans.

“Rather than responding by irrationally threatening to deny visas to American citizens, the Duterte government should either release Senator De Lima immediately or provide her the fair, public trial she is entitled to,” Leahy said in a statement.

He added that the imprisonment of De Lima and the threats against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa have been criticized around the world, not least by the US Department of State and the United Nations.

“I have always stood up for the right of journalists to report the news in the United States and around the world and no one can force me to stop standing up for their rights,” Leahy tweeted.

President Duterte earlier ordered the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to bar Democrat Senators Leahy and Dick Durbin from entering the country—a decision that apparently stemmed from their filing of a provision in the US 2020 budget that supports the call to free De Lima and to ban the entry of Philippine officials involved in her “wrongful” detention.

Leahy and Durbin proposed the amendment to the 2020 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

US President Donald Trump has signed the budget that includes an amendment authorizing the US Secretary of State to prohibit the entry of Philippine officials to the United States.

A provision in the budget on “Prohibition on Entry” allows US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “apply sub-section (c) to foreign government officials about whom the Secretary has credible information have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of… Senator Leila de Lima who was arrested in the Philippines in 2017.”

The provision is in line with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, allowing the US government to impose sanctions on foreign government officials implicated in human rights abuses in any part of the world.

These actions target serious human rights abuse and corruption on a global scale, demonstrating the US’ action to pursue tangible and significant consequences for those who undermine the rule of law, disregard internationally accepted human rights standards, and threaten the stability of international political and economic systems. 

The Philippine embassy in Washington called on the US to respect the Philippines’ domestic laws and processes after Trump signed the 2020 budget.

But presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said it does not matter whether the ban is true or not.

“What’s important is if they ban any government official, then we will require (American citizens) to apply for a visa and we will ban the two senators (from entering the Philippines),” he said.

He clarified though that changing the visa rules would not have an effect on Philippines-US relations – a point that Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III agreed on.

“The provision simply says you’re not welcome here (US), so don’t go there. We would save money. It could become a dead letter law if no one will be named,” Pimentel said.

He believes the issue is so minor that it would not affect relations between the Philippines and the US.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would welcome the staff of the two US senators should they wish to come to the Philippines to personally check on court records instead of relying on reports that he described as “at best, second-hand evidence and, at worst, multiple hearsay.”