Three United States senators on Friday, February 19, welcomed the acquittal of detained Senator Leila de Lima in 1 of 3 “bogus” drug charges filed against her. But they said this was not enough.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illionis), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), and Edward J Markey (D-Massachussets), the top Democrat on the East Asia and Pacific subcommittee, again called for the senator’s release and “full exoneration.”

“While we are pleased that one of the three illegitimate charges against Senator De Lima has been dropped, it is clearly not enough,” the senators said in a press release.

A Muntinlupa court on February 17 acquitted the opposition senator in one of her 3 conspiracy to commit drug trading charges, which she claims are fabricated cases masterminded by President Rodrigo Duterte as revenge for her investigation into extrajudicial killings. (READ: De Lima in jail: ‘I never imagined Duterte would be this vindictive’)

“The Duterte administration has wrongfully detained Senator De Lima for 4 years under false charges because she is willing to speak out and stand up to the egregious abuses of the government,” they said.

The senators said they would continue to hold the Duterte administration accountable for its abuses until:

• Senator De Lima is released;
• all of the “fabricated charges” against her “and other prisoners of conscience” are dismissed; and
• victims of President Duterte’s “campaign of abuse” have obtained justice

“President Duterte has tried to silence his critics and the independent press through false and politically motivated charges, but his disdain for human rights, free speech, and democracy is on clear display to the world,” they said.

Malacañang had earlier described Leahy and Durbin as “imperious, uninformed and gullible.”

Duterte also ordered an entry ban against Leahy and Durbin, after the two officials introduced a US entry ban against Filipino officials involved in De Lima’s detention. Several Filipino politicians have also criticized the US senators for interfering in local affairs.

The provision was included in the US 2020 budget, in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

The US Senate also earlier passed a resolution seeking other sanctions on Philippine officials who were not only involved in De Lima’s jailing, but also those who enabled human rights violations under the Duterte government. – Rappler.com