DE LIMA VISITATION RIGHTS | Police bars ex-senator De Lima’s visitors, citing detention rules

August 29, 2022 , 06:43 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(August 29, 2022) – The National Police on Monday stood firm on its rules to bar several personalities from visiting a detained former senator on her birthday last weekend, citing strict security protocols.

Colonel Mark Pespes, head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters Support Service, said the Custodial Center has received the letter requesting to allow several people to visit Leila De Lima’s birthday on August 22, her birthday, but the request was received only four days before the scheduled visit.

Pespes said the custodial center personnel were only obeying orders after a PNP memorandum was issued saying visits may only be allowed after submitting a written request at least 10 working days before the intended date of visit.

“The senator is aware that her request fell short of the required number of days stated in the memo but still the PNP Headquarters and Support Service made earnest efforts to process the request. However, hindi talaga naihabol ang approval,” Pespes said in a press release.

On Saturday, the national police stopped a group of people from visiting de Lima to celebrate her birthday. Only her brother Vicente was allowed to visit her on that day.

De Lima and another lawmaker assailed the police rules, saying the technicality in the police protocols on visitation is not an inflexible rule.

De Lima has acknowledged the request came on short notice, but she has explained to custodial authorities that they could not immediately comply because they were still waiting for confirmation from some guests.

She also said the requirement is not an inflexible rule, and her prior visitation requests have been approved even in the few instances they submitted a request on short notice.

“It’s unfortunate that the discretion of the approving authorities, this time, was imprudently exercised, thereby causing yet again another unnecessary ruckus, just like in the case of the earlier US Congressional Delegation visit,” De Lima said in a dispatch from Camp Crame.

Albay Congressman Edcel Lagman, one of the visitors barred entry, said the move to decline the visitation request is “unjust and arbitrary,” and is reflective of the current administration’s views on human rights.

Also among those visiting were former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Ombudsman Conchita Morales, former senators Franklin Drilon and Mar Roxas, Senator Risa Hontiveros, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, economist Winnie Monsod and her husband, former Constitution framer Christian Monsod, and former lawmaker Tom Villarin.

De Lima, a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody and brutal drug war policy, has been in detention at the national police headquarters in Camp Crame for over five years over allegations of collecting money from drug lords to fund her 2016 senatorial campaign.

However, human rights advocates believed her detention was politically motivated due to her vocal criticisms of the Duterte administration.

One of her three cases was dismissed last year. Another bribery case was also scrapped by the Office of the Ombudsman over a lack of probable cause.

(MM)

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.