IPU wants last De Lima case dropped

The Inter-Parliamentary Union Governing Council has formally requested the release from detention and the dismissal of the only remaining drug case against former Senator Leila de Lima.

De Lima has been in detention since February 2017 in Camp Crame, facing drug-related charges initiated by the Department of Justice during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Of the three drug cases filed against De Lima, the court has already dismissed two, leaving only one pending before a Muntinlupa Court.

The IPU, recognized as a "global organization of national parliaments," recently adopted a decision demanding De Lima's immediate release from her prolonged detention.

It expressed serious concerns about De Lima's protracted legal situation, as it has been more than seven years since she was initially charged.

The IPU reiterated its belief that the actions taken against De Lima were in response to her vocal opposition to President Duterte's approach to the war on drugs.