The European Parliament should mind its own business and avoid meddling with the country’s internal affairs, including judicial processes, a Palace official said yesterday.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo has accused the European lawmakers of “foreign intrusion” after calling for the release of Sen. Leila M. de Lima, currently detained on drug charges.
“Iyon ang maliwanag na foreign intrusion. Kagaya ng sinabi mo, wala silang pakialam dito sa ginagawa natin sa ating bansa,” Panelo said in a radio interview.
Panelo insisted that no foreign country could dictate on another sovereign nation on how to carry out its justice system. “They should mind their own business,” he said.
The parliament of the European Union recently adopted a resolution seeking the release of De Lima and the dismissal of the politically motivated charges against her.
The European lawmakers also condemned the high number of extrajudicial killings linked to the government’s war on illegal drugs and called on the Duterte government to probe these murders and bring the culprits to justice.
They also expressed alarm over the Congress’ move to restore death penalty in the Philippines. (GENALYN D. KABILING)