MANILA — Would-be visitors of detained former Senator Leila de Lima slammed the Philippine National Police Custodial Center’s decision not to allow them to visit her on her birthday on Saturday.

It is OUTRAGEOUS! We were on our way to visit Leila de Lima on her birthday when our request made weeks ago was just now VERBALLY disapproved. I and my husband, Justice Carpio. Chel Diokno, and others ALL barred. Too much! She’s not convicted, not allowed a phone, and now this!

— Solita C Monsod (@MWinnieMonsod) August 27, 2022

“It is OUTRAGEOUS!,” economist and columnist Prof. Solita “Winnie” Monsod, said on Twitter.

“We were on our way to visit Leila de Lima on her birthday when our request made weeks ago was just now VERBALLY disapproved. I and my husband, Justice Carpio. Chel Diokno, and others ALL barred. Too much! She’s not convicted, not allowed a phone, and now this!,” she added.

Among those barred from visiting De Lima were Mondos’ husband, constitutional framer Atty. Christian Monsod.

Aside from the Monsod couple, former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former SC Associate Justice and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Senator Risa Hontiveros and Rep. Edcel Lagman, were also prevented from visiting the former lawmaker.

Others included former Senator Franklin Drilon, Former Rep. Tom Villarin, former secretaries Mar Roxas and Julia Abad and lawyer Chel Diokno.

Villarin, in a message to Zoom participants during an online program celebrating De Lima’s 63rd birthday, confirmed the decision was relayed to them verbally and no reason was cited by the PNP.

“The PNP Custodial Center's verbal decision to deny access of friends to visit Sen Leila on her birthday today is highly whimsical and capricious. Without reason, the move by the PNP speaks about how the law is really being used to trample on the rights of former Sen. de Lima,” he said.

Speaking during the same event, Villarin criticized the visit denial for being arbitrary.

“But in a way this speaks volumes about our laws and even law enforcement agencies of the PNP na lahat ay naging whimsical and capricious when it comes to interpreting the law. So parang sa ngayon, lumalaki yung discretion nitong mga enforcement agencies, even government when it comes to interpreting the law,” he said.

Villarin expressed concern that a scheduled visit by members of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in the coming days might not push through despite having complied with PNP requirements.

PNP rules require a note verbale from the embassy of the countries where foreign visitors come from to be submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which would then endorse the request to the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police.

“[With] what happened today, lalabas pala na even if we comply with all these requirements, the Custodial Center, anytime, can just say no, even if there’s already compliance with all these requirements,” he said.

The PNP Custodial Center had also denied a prior visit by the US congressional delegation despite complying with PNP rules because the PNP cited the lack of a court order.

• PNP holds off US lawmakers from visiting De Lima

The US delegation was eventually allowed to visit after securing court approvals.

• US delegation visits De Lima after court approvals

But De Lima had said court approval was not needed under PNP’s own rules.

• De Lima felt 'frustrated, unjustly treated' after delay in US Congressional delegation's visit

APHR’s visit to De Lima coincides with their visit to the Philippines to conduct a fact-finding mission on the impact of misinformation and disinformation on Philippine democracy “in the sense that even the law has been weaponized and even if there's also targeting of political opposition.”

The group is set to hold a press conference on the results of their findings on Wednesday.

Villarin said the group also plans to bring up the case of De Lima to the United Nations during the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

De Lima has been detained on drug charges for the past 5 years but she has maintained her innocence.

One of the 3 cases has been junked by a Muntinlupa court last year while bribery raps were dismissed at the Office of the Ombudsman.

• Muntinlupa court junks 1 of 3 drug cases vs De Lima
• Ombudsman junks bribery raps vs De Lima, Ronnie Dayan

Several witnesses have also recanted their allegations against her.

• 'Not true': Kerwin Espinosa recants all allegations vs De Lima, says lawyer
• Another witness retracts drug accusations vs De Lima

• After Ragos’ retraction, Dayan testifies: No drug money delivered to De Lima
• Witness takes back claims vs Kerwin Espinosa, Sen. De Lima

Lagman, another visitor who was not allowed to see De Lima Saturday, also criticized the PNP’s decision.

“Even during her birthday today, former Senator Leila de Lima is unreasonably deprived of the company of her closest friends and ardent defenders,” he said in a statement.

“Every long day that passes with Sen. Leila still baselessly imprisoned tarnishes the human rights record of the Philippines…We hope that this would be the last time Sen. De Lima will have her birthday in prison because every birthday in odious captivity is grossly tragic and an utter disaster for Philippine democracy and the rule of law,” he added.