ASEAN Parliamentarians: stop political witch hunt

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Thursday asked that the criminal wiretapping charges against Senator Risa Hontiveros be dropped, even as it prodded the Duterte administration to stop its “politically motivated witch hunt” against its critics and human rights defenders.

The group of Southeast Asian lawmakers said the charges slapped by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre against Hontiveros, a member of the APHR, were “politically motivated in nature.”

“Accusing Senator Hontiveros of wiretapping for simply showing a photo taken by someone else is beyond the pale. The charges are not only unfounded, they call into question the very credibility of the Justice Department itself,” APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament, said in a statement issued in Jakarta, and emailed to Philippine media outfits.

On Monday, Aguirre filed wiretapping charges against Hontiveros at the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office, in relation to a speech she delivered in the Senate on September 11, during which she showed a photo of Aguirre’s cell phone screen. Text messages displayed in the image showed Aguirre urging  former Congressman Jacinto “Jing” Paras to “expedite the cases” against Hontiveros, a staunch critic of of the President’s war on drugs.

“Particularly given the significant concerns about the validity of the charges against the Senator, including the fact that her speech on 11 September is likely protected by parliamentary immunity, it’s important to ensure the full independence of the prosecution. Unfortunately, this cannot be guaranteed if the case is pursued by someone who reports directly to the victim of the alleged crime,” Santiago said.

He said they will not be suprised if another administration critic will experience the same ordeal, following the “pattern of harassment” hurled against government critics.

“What we’re seeing develop in the Philippines is a pattern of harassment against the administration’s critics, especially those who have forged ahead with investigations into extra-judicial killings and other human rights violations. First Senator Leila De Lima and now Senator Hontiveros. Who will be next?,” he asked.

He said the Philippine government should put in place measures to guarantee the integrity of the judicial process and protect freedom of speech for all, including those who criticize government actions and policies.

“Harassment of critics and human rights defenders in the Philippines must stop. The government must end what increasingly looks like a politically motivated witch hunt,” Santiago said.