Following the approval of a United States Senate committee on the amended bill seeking to ban Philippine officials involved in the continued detention of Senator Leila de Lima from entering the North American country, former House Speaker and Davao del Norte first district Representative Pantaleon Alvarez slammed US Senator Richard Durbin on the move, saying that his meddling “with the internal affairs of our independent and sovereign nation makes him appear a moron at least, stupid at best.”

In a statement, Alvarez stressed that the Philippines is no longer an American colony and for the US senator to think and act that way shows “his misguided messianic complex.”

“Senator Durbin’s brazen move to interfere with the internal affairs of our independent and sovereign nation makes him appear a moron at least, stupid at best,” said Alvarez. “Who is he to meddle into internal matters that have gone through the Philippine court systems and legal processes and suddenly, sweepingly – arrogantly even – call these as merely politically motivated?”

The lawmaker also noted that rather than dip his hand into our domestic concerns, Durbin should just stick to his mandate as a Senator of his country and stay within that jurisdiction.

“Let us not forget the awful consequences of U.S. interventionism in other countries throughout history veiled under the guise of simply being a “good Samaritan,” said Alvarez.

To recall, the amendment — filed by US lawmakers in the Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill — would prohibit Philippine government officials involved in the “wrongful imprisonment” of De Lima from entering their country, according to the resolution released Friday.

Durbin said the amendment will cover all officials tagged in De Lima’s “politically-motivated” detention.

“Good to see the Senate Appropriations Committee pass my amendment with @SenatorLeahy today to prohibit entry to any Philippine Government Officials involved in the politically motivated imprisonment of Filipina Senator Leila de Lima in 2017. We must #FreeLeilaNow,” said Durbin in a social media post.

Malacanang earlier reacted to the US Senate committee’s action, noting that the move is an intrusion into the Philippines’ legal processes and a clear interference with the nation’s sovereignty.

“It treats our country as an inferior state unqualified to run its own affairs. All sensible Filipinos, regardless of their political or social association, should feel affronted and disrespected by this insulting and offensive act. Consistent with our position against sovereign interference, we will not respond to this group of American legislators by performing any repulsive action to reverse its decision,” said Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo in a statement.

The provision in the resolution also sought to ban the entry of officials from other countries—including those involved in the case of Mustafa Kassem, an American citizen currently detained in Egypt.