By Macon Araneta Leaders of the leading international political organizations expressed alarm  on the rising threats to freedom in the Philippines  following the arrest of President Rodrigo Duterte's fiercest critic Sen. Leila De Lima on what they said were politically motivated charges of drug trafficking. Members of the European Parliament  and the liberals and democrats belonging to Bangkok-based Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) criticized the arrest of...

By Daniel Llanto Shortly after Sen. Leila de Lima was arrested on drug charges, the Senate went through a sweeping purge that saw all her Liberal Party (LP) mates, who had publicly sympathized and shared De Lima’s stand that she faces a manufactured case for opposing President Duterte, lose their key positions in the Chamber. This drew immediate reaction from Vice-president Leni Robredo, the highest elected official of the LP, who said the ouster of LP senators from key...