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US welcomes De Lima acquittal, calls for resolution of other 'politically motivated' cases

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719280127270de-lima-muntinlupa-rtc-demurrer-JC1796.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Former Senator Leila De Lima leaves the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court after RTC Branch 206 granted a demurrer in her remaining drug case on June 24, 2024. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span><em> </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The US has welcomed former Sen. Leila De Lima’s acquittal on the last of three drug cases filed against her by the administration of then President Rodrigo Duterte as it urged the Philippines to resolve other pending “poilitically motivated cases,” including those against journalists and members of civil society.</p><p>The statement from the US Department of State was preceded by messages from members of the diplomatic community in Manila who welcomed the dismissal of the cases against De Lima, a critic of Duterte’s bloody war on drugs and who has maintained since 2017 that the cases against her were made up and were motivated by politics.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/24/de-lima-acquitted-on-last-of-three-drug-cases-1435">RELATED: De Lima acquitted on last of three drug cases</a></div><p>“The United States welcomes the acquittal of former Philippine Senator Leila de Lima on the final criminal charge against her. This decision follows her release on bail in November 2023 after nearly seven years of detention and her acquittal on two separate politically motivated criminal charges,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.</p><p>He added that the US is committed to working with the Philippine government to strengthen democracy and human rights in the country and around the world.  </p><p>“We continue to urge the Philippines to resolve politically motivated cases, including those against journalists and civil society, in a manner consistent with its international human rights obligations and commitments,” he also said.</p><p>De Lima’s case was mentioned in the department’s 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, which noted that the charges against her were “widely regarded as fabrications of the previous administration because of De Lima’s vocal opposition to former President Duterte and his administration’s drug war and other human rights abuses.”</p><p>Rights group Karapatan counts 799 political prisoners in the Philippines, including 85-year-old peasant organizer Gerardo dela Peña, who has been in prison for 11 years for a murder that supporters say he did not commit.</p><p>The same US State Department report noted that, although there was a decrease in killings and abuses by government agents in 2023, “no significant changes in the human rights situation in the Philippines during the year.”</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/28/24/un-rapporteur-visits-detained-rights-defenders-journalist">READ: UN rapporteur visits detained rights defenders, journalist in Leyte</a></div><p>European Union Ambassador Luc Veron on Monday called De Lima’s acquittal a victory of justice, saying on X that “the EU applauds and stands alongside this verdict for justice and human rights.”</p><p>US Ambassador MaryKay Clarkson also welcomed the dismissal of the case and said her country “supports rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms around the world.”</p><p>British Ambassador Laure Beaufils called it “a significant step for the rule of law” while Canadian Ambassador David Hartman stressed that “transparency, evidence, and independence of the judiciary are essential to our democratic systems of justice.” </p><p>Australian Ambassador HK Yu also welcomed the verdict, saying Australia “continues to support the rule of law and respect for human rights.”</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7IMUkAgBcgk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" width="640"></iframe></strong></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The statement from the US Department of State was preceded by messages from members of the diplomatic community in Manila who welcomed the dismissal of the cases against De Lima.</p>

The statement from the US Department of State was preceded by messages from members of the diplomatic community in Manila who welcomed the dismissal of the cases against De Lima.