EU lawmakers in Philippines to monitor human rights

By Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

European Union legislators arrived Tuesday in the Philippines for a four-day visit to check the political and human rights situation in the country.

The delegation, which consists of four members of the European Parliament’s subcommittee on Human Rights, wants to get a “real picture and better understanding of the situation in the Philippines”, according to a report from ABS-CBN News.

Headed by Sweden’s Soraya Post, it includes Austria’s Josef Weidenholzer, Denmark’s Rikke Karlsson and Hungary’s Adam Kosa.

Earlier this year, the EU called for an international investigation into unlawful killings and other violations in the Philippines linked to President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

It also issued a joint motion that called for the release of opposition Senator Leila de Lima, who was arrested for alleged links to the illegal drug trade.

Post told reporters in the Senate of the group’s plan to visit de Lima during its trip to the Philippines.

"We are very interested in the development of the human rights situation in the Philippines,” she was quoted by local reporters.

Post said the EU has heard of a lot of killings in Duterte’s war on drugs and the proposed lowering of the age of criminal responsibility in the country from 15 to 9 years.

Expressing concern about the situation of the Filipino people, Post said the delegation wants to meet different stakeholders in the Philippines for a "fact-sharing mission".

They are scheduled to meet with Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and nongovernmental organizations.

Asked if the delegation had arranged a meeting with Duterte, Post said: “No, I don’t think we did that. Maybe I should. He seems to be a very interesting person.”

The visit comes amid a call by Duterte for the EU to not impose its standards on the Philippines in the wake of its strong criticism of the administration’s brutal anti-drug campaign.

The Philippine government has also decided to no longer accept interfering development assistance from the EU mostly intended for Muslim communities in the country.

Aside from the drug war, the EU Parliament has been a strong critic of Duterte's proposed reinstatement of the death penalty.