Statement of Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on the US Senate move to ban to US PH govt execs in Sen. De Lima's imprisonment

We support the move of the US Senate as it calls out Philippine officials involved in the unjust and arbitrary detention of Sen. Leila de Lima.

Sen. Leila de Lima stood up against the mass murder of our people -- as we all should. She is being unlawfully detained -- for almost 1,000 days now -- for speaking out against the killings of poor, powerless Filipino citizens in the Administration's so-called war on drugs.

We do not consider the US Senate's action as an interference in the affairs of a sovereign state. Human beings everywhere -- regardless of ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, or gender -- must speak out against mass murder.

We welcome this move of the US Senators, an act of solidarity not only for Sen. Leila de Lima, but for all the murdered victims, and their orphans, widows, and mothers and fathers, who are now doubly burdened by the absence of a loved one and in many, many cases a family breadwinner.

We are encouraged that a growing number of world leaders recognize the unjust detention of Sen. Leila De Lima for fighting for the lives of our people. This US Senate action, as well as the Iceland UN resolution, shows that we are not alone in this fight.

Hindi sumasangayon ang ating mga kababayan sa araw-araw na patayan. Hindi tama, hindi solusyon at hindi makatarungan ang araw-araw na pinapatay ang mga walang kalaban-laban nating mahihirap na kababayan habang hindi kinakasuhan ang mga nasasangkot sa pagpapalusot ng iligal na droga at pinapalaya at pinakakawalan ang mga bigtime na mga drug lord.

#StopTheKillings #FreeLeilaNow!