The minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday filed a resolution urging fellow legislators to support Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s proposal for the country to withdraw its membership from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, citing the organization’s continued interference on the country’s internal and judicial affairs.
In House Resolution 2270, House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez noted “the IPU stepped outside its boundaries with its interference in the country’s judicial processes which runs counter to the principle of State sovereignty.”
Suarez cited the IPU’s recent move to release a resolution seeking an investigation into the criminal cases filed against Senator Leila de Lima and a statement suggesting another intervention on the case of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
This, he said, may have violated one of the State policies enshrined in the 1987 Constitution—the independent foreign policy being pursued by the State, “in that its relations with other states shall primarily consider national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination.”
“The Philippines is a member parliament of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The IPU was created with a vision of protecting and strengthening democracy and building strong national parliaments that can deliver on issues like health, sustainable development, peace and security,” Suarez said in the resolution.
Speaker Arroyo earlier recommended the withdrawal of the country’s membership from the IPU after the latter expressed its intention to visit the country to investigate further on the cases of De Lima and Trillanes.
“Therefore, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved for the House of Representatives to express its support for the withdrawal of the membership of the Philippines from the Inter-Parliamentary Union,” it added.
In the Senate, however, Senator Chiz Escudero said the proposed withdrawal will only isolate the Philippines from the community of nations.
“Such isolationist policy will not serve the country’s interests—both long term and short term,” said Escudero in response to the recent proposal put forward by Arroyo.
According to Escudero, withdrawing from the IPU, a global organization of lawmakers, will also bolster allegations of political persecution of lawmakers critical to the Duterte administration.
Rather than severing ties with the IPU, the Bicolano senator advised the government to use the platform as an opportunity to defend its human rights record and clear it name in the international community.
“Instead, the government must be able to defend and explain its position before these international organizations and not simply ‘withdraw’ each time it does not go their way,” he said.
Last March, the Philippines had notified the United Nations that it was pulling out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the latter’s court prosecutor had announced an ongoing examination into allegations that President Duterte and his top officials had committed crimes against humanity in connection with the government’s drug war policy.
But Escudero said he remains hopeful that the government will still see the advantages of staying with the international parliamentary organization. “I hope the government reconsiders its position to withdraw and decide to simply engage other nations in these international fora and win them over.”
Arroyo attended last October the 139th IPU General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland during which member-states collectively expressed concern over the alleged human rights violations in the Philippines and the persecution of the Duterte administration’s staunchest critics—detained Senator Leila de Lima and Senator Antonio Trillanes, whose amnesty had been revoked by the government.
The IPU is composed of 178 member parliaments and 12 associate members.