IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 233 

Condemning the Government of the Philippines for its continued detention 

of Senator Leila De Lima, calling for her immediate release, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2019 

Ms. SPEIER (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. 

RASKIN, Mr. SHERMAN, and Mr. DOGGETT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of the Philippines for its continued detention of Senator Leila De Lima, calling for 

her immediate release, and for other purposes. 

Whereas extrajudicial killings perpetrated by the Government 

of the Philippines as part of a Government-directed antidrug campaign present the foremost human rights challenge in the Philippines; 

Whereas the Department of State’s 2017 Human Rights Report notes numerous human rights concerns, including 

the persecution of human rights defenders and the detention of political prisoners in the Philippines, stating, 

‘‘The most significant human rights issues included: 

killings by security forces, vigilantes and others allegedly 

connected to the government, and by insurgents; torture 


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•HRES 233 IH 

and abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces; 

often harsh and life threatening prison conditions; 

warrantless arrests by security forces and cases of apparent government disregard for legal rights and due process; political prisoners; killings of and threats against 

journalists; official corruption and abuse of power; 

threats of violence against human rights activists; violence against women; and forced labor.’’; 

Whereas, on February 23, 2017, an arrest warrant was 

issued for Philippine Senator Leila De Lima for allegations related to drug trafficking, and as of February 28, 

2019, Senator De Lima had been detained for 734 days. 

Whereas the charges brought against Senator De Lima followed a history of criticizing extrajudicial killings in the 

Philippines and the Rodrigo R. Duterte administration’s 

antidrug campaign, including— 

(1) in 2009, in her capacity as Chair of the Commission on Human Rights, Senator De Lima investigated 

the alleged involvement of then-Mayor of Davao City 

Rodrigo R. Duterte in the extrajudicial killings executed 

by the so-called ‘‘Davao Death Squad’’; 

(2) on December 15, 2014, then-Secretary of Justice 

De Lima led a raid of the national penitentiary which resulted in the confiscation of drugs, firearms, and contraband items and the extraction of 19 drug lords and highprofile inmates involved in the facility’s drug network; 

(3) on July 13, 2016, Senator De Lima, in her capacity as Chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and 

Human Rights, filed Senate Resolution No. 9 calling for 

an investigation into extrajudicial killings and summary 

executions of suspected drug offenders arising from 

President Duterte’s ‘‘War on Drugs’’; 


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•HRES 233 IH 

(4) on August 22, 2016, Senator De Lima conducted Senate hearings during which alleged former 

death squad members detailed extrajudicial killings executed as part of the antidrug campaign and one member 

testified that Duterte participated in extrajudicial killings 

as mayor of Davao City; and 

(5) on August 2, 2016, and September 19, 2016, 

Senator De Lima delivered two privileged speeches on the 

Senate floor calling on President Duterte to end the 

killings; 

Whereas President Duterte vowed to publicly destroy Senator 

De Lima; 

Whereas the charges against Senator De Lima were supported by testimony from inmates whose illegal activities 

were disrupted by her 2014 raid; 

Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted an Opinion on 

August 24, 2018, finding several categories of arbitrary 

detention and concluding that, ‘‘Ms. De Lima’s political 

views and convictions are clearly at the centre of the 

present case and that the authorities have displayed an 

attitude towards her that can only be characterized as 

targeted and discriminatory. Indeed, she has been the 

target of partisan persecution and there is no explanation 

for this other than her exercise of the right to express 

such views and convictions as a human rights defender.’’; 

Whereas the Department of State’s 2017 Human Rights Report highlighted due process obstructions in the case of 

Senator De Lima, stating, ‘‘During the year prosecutors 

used a variety of legal tactics, including filing new and 

amending previous charges, to delay arraignment.’’; 


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•HRES 233 IH 

Whereas the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary 

Detention recommended that the Government of the Philippines adopt certain measures, including— 

(1) the immediate release of Senator De Lima; 

(2) an independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the arbitrary detention; and 

(3) the provision of compensation and other reparations, including reinstatement to the positions from which 

she was ousted; 

Whereas, on July 20, 2017, the Tom Lantos Human Rights 

Commission of the United States Congress held a hearing 

on The Human Rights Consequences of the War on 

Drugs in the Philippines, during which Human Rights 

Watch testified about the ‘‘relentless government campaign’’ against Senator De Lima ‘‘in evident response to 

her outspoken criticism of Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ and 

her calls for accountability’’; 

Whereas Amnesty International finds Senator De Lima’s detention to be based solely on her criticism of the Government, her political beliefs, and her peaceful defense of 

human rights, and considers her a Prisoner of Conscience; and 

Whereas nongovernmental organizations, human rights 

groups, parliamentary bodies, and individuals have called 

for Senator De Lima’s immediate release, including the 

European Parliament, the Australian Parliament, the 

Inter-Parliamentary Union, Amnesty International, 

Human Rights Watch, Liberal International, ASEAN 

Parliamentarians for Human Rights, and many of Senator De Lima’s colleagues in the Senate minority bloc: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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•HRES 233 IH 

1 (1) condemns— 

2 (A) the Government of the Philippines for 

3 its role in state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings 

4 by police and other armed individuals as part of 

5 the ‘‘War on Drugs’’; 

6 (B) the arrest and detention of human 

7 rights defenders and political leaders who exer8 cise their rights to freedom of expression; and 

9 (C) the continued detention of Senator 

10 Leila De Lima; 

11 (2) considers Senator Leila De Lima to be a 

12 prisoner of conscience, detained solely on account of 

13 her political views and the legitimate exercise of her 

14 freedom of expression; 

15 (3) calls on the Government of the Philippines 

16 to immediately release Senator De Lima, drop all 

17 charges against her, remove restrictions on her per18 sonal and work conditions, and allow her to fully dis19 charge her legislative mandate, especially as Chair of 

20 the Committee on Social Justice; and 

21 (4) urges the Philippine Government to recog22 nize the importance of human rights defenders and 

23 their work, and allow them to operate freely without 

24 fear of reprisal. 

Æ 


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