Pimentel slams EU Parliament for trying to micromanage PH affairs
Published Apr 21, 2018 05:03 pm
By Mario Casayuran
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III today slammed the European Union (EU) Parliament for trying to micromanage Philippine affairs.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III (Senate of the Philippines / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Pimentel issued the statement in a radio interview today after the EU parliament passed a resolution seeking an end to its war on illegal drugs, particularly stop the controversial extrajudicial killing (EJK) issue, and release of detained Senator Leila de Lima and the delisting of Leila Corpuz, a United Nations (UN) rapporteur from the Philippine list of terrorists.
“Are they colonists?’’ he asked.
“I am disappointed. The EU parliament is thousands of kilometers away. Yet it wants to micromanage the (internal) affairs of the country,’’ he said.
The EU also wants what the Department of Justice (DOJ) should not charge, he added.
“Ang gagaling (they are that good),’’ he said with a tinge of derision, adding that the EU Parliament does know what is taking place on the ground.
Pimentel said the EU Parliament’s interference is so palpable because it did not respect a decision of the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, not to release de Lima from detention as she is facing illegal drugs-related charges.
While the Supreme Court already made a decision, the EU Parliament still wanted her released, he pointed out.
Young Pimentel, a bar topnotcher like his father, former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., stressed that de Lima is a close friend. ‘’May utang na loob ako dyan,’’ he added. (I am indebted to her.)
In the case of Corpuz, Pimentel said legal processes for her to clear her name are open to her.
“We have court processes. Why should the EU Parliament decide?’’ Masyado silang mag micro-manage,’’ he pointed out.
Asked if the membership of the Philippine Senate to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) is affected by the EU Parliament resolution, Pimentel said one issue should affect the Philippine Senate’s membership.
Queried whether the Philippine delegations to IPU conventions had tried to explain the side of the Philippine government on these controversial issues, Pimentel said they tried but their minds had been made up.
Thus, debating with them is ‘’pointless,’’ he added.
Pimentel asked aloud whether the EU parliamentarians knew that Philippine policemen had been fired at or had been killed in anti-illegal drug police operations.
He said the Philippine Senate will be asking the Philippine National Police (PNP), through its internal affairs division, on what it has done on investigations into killings in the anti-illegal drug operations
The Senate Chief he does not want the Senate to be lied to by the PNP under its new leadership.
These PNP internal investigations indicate that the Philippine government is doing something about the controversial deaths of casualties in the drug war, he added.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III (Senate of the Philippines / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Pimentel issued the statement in a radio interview today after the EU parliament passed a resolution seeking an end to its war on illegal drugs, particularly stop the controversial extrajudicial killing (EJK) issue, and release of detained Senator Leila de Lima and the delisting of Leila Corpuz, a United Nations (UN) rapporteur from the Philippine list of terrorists.
“Are they colonists?’’ he asked.
“I am disappointed. The EU parliament is thousands of kilometers away. Yet it wants to micromanage the (internal) affairs of the country,’’ he said.
The EU also wants what the Department of Justice (DOJ) should not charge, he added.
“Ang gagaling (they are that good),’’ he said with a tinge of derision, adding that the EU Parliament does know what is taking place on the ground.
Pimentel said the EU Parliament’s interference is so palpable because it did not respect a decision of the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, not to release de Lima from detention as she is facing illegal drugs-related charges.
While the Supreme Court already made a decision, the EU Parliament still wanted her released, he pointed out.
Young Pimentel, a bar topnotcher like his father, former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., stressed that de Lima is a close friend. ‘’May utang na loob ako dyan,’’ he added. (I am indebted to her.)
In the case of Corpuz, Pimentel said legal processes for her to clear her name are open to her.
“We have court processes. Why should the EU Parliament decide?’’ Masyado silang mag micro-manage,’’ he pointed out.
Asked if the membership of the Philippine Senate to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) is affected by the EU Parliament resolution, Pimentel said one issue should affect the Philippine Senate’s membership.
Queried whether the Philippine delegations to IPU conventions had tried to explain the side of the Philippine government on these controversial issues, Pimentel said they tried but their minds had been made up.
Thus, debating with them is ‘’pointless,’’ he added.
Pimentel asked aloud whether the EU parliamentarians knew that Philippine policemen had been fired at or had been killed in anti-illegal drug police operations.
He said the Philippine Senate will be asking the Philippine National Police (PNP), through its internal affairs division, on what it has done on investigations into killings in the anti-illegal drug operations
The Senate Chief he does not want the Senate to be lied to by the PNP under its new leadership.
These PNP internal investigations indicate that the Philippine government is doing something about the controversial deaths of casualties in the drug war, he added.