BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar –– Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go will ask President Duterte to likewise ban American senators who prohibit entry to the US of Philippine government officials involved in the imprisonment of Senator Leila de Lima.

According to Go, the act of U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Richard Durbin is a clear “interference to the internal affairs” of the Philippines.

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“I condemn this act of a handful of U.S. senators for seeking to ban officials of the Philippine government involved in the detention of Sen. Leila de Lima. This is an affront to our sovereignty and to our ability to govern ourselves,” said Go, the most trusted ally of President Duterte, in a speech during the 118th anniversary of the Balangiga encounter held Saturday, September 28, at the town’s gymnasium.

“I will suggest to President Duterte to also ban these senators [from] our country for interfering [in] our internal affairs,” the senator added.

Go said De Lima was detained by a “lawful order by an independent court,” whose decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court.

A U.S. Senate panel recently approved an amendment to a bill that would prohibit entry into the United States of any Philippine government official involved in the detention of De Lima.

Durbin has called on the Philippine government to release the De Lima through a resolution he earlier filed with four other U.S. senators.

De Lima, a fierce critic of the Duterte administration, has been detained inside the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City for over two years on drug charges.

The senator has repeatedly denied the allegations./lzb

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