Fierce Duterte Critic Dick Durbin now US Senate Majority Whip

Sen. Dick Durbin, now the Majority Whip of the US Senate. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

An interesting development just Days into the inauguration of new United States (US) President Joe Biden as one of the fiercest Critics of the Duterte Administration, US Senator Richard “Dick” Durbin has now been assigned to the position of “Majority Whip” of the US Senate. 

As per the US Senate Website itself, the Majority Whip is the Assistant to the Majority Floor Leader who is “… responsible for mobilizing votes within their parties on major issues. In the absence of a party floor leader, the Whip often serves as acting Floor Leader".

The Majority Whip is the third most Powerful Position in the US Senate, just after the Senate President and the Majority Floor Leader. 

‘Banned in the Philippines’

Note that Dick Durbin was banned by President Rodrigo Duterte from entering the Philippines in December 2019 for sponsoring a Provision in the US’ 2020 Budget that imposed Sanctions on the Jailers of Senator Leila De Lima. 

I am not sure what happened to that Provision in the US’ 2020 Budget, but as far as I know, Durbin is still banned in the Philippines as I could not find any News item that the ban has been revoked. 

‘Ressa and De Lima’

Dick really doesn’t seem to like Digong since aside from the Provision above, in June 2020 he along with other Democrap Senators publicly called on Duterte’s Government to drop all Charges against Journalist Maria Ressa, the News Publication Rappler and other Journalists in the Philippines which they said were “Politically Motivated”. 

Ressa has Dual American and Philippine Citizenships, which illustrates the problem of Dual Citizenship as it allows easier interference and justification for the US to interfere with our Internal Affairs. 

The following Month, in July 2020, Dick again with other Democrap Senators wrote a Letter pressuring the then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to take action against Duterte on the issue of “Human Rights”. The Letter mentioned among other things the issue of Ressa, De Lima and the Anti-Terror Law (ATL).

‘Parting Shot’

So the third most Powerful Man in the US Senate is a fierce Duterte Critic, banned in the Philippines and a tenacious Supporter of De Lima and Ressa. If Dick continues to strongly support De Lima and Ressa, then it looks like US-Philippine Relations is headed for “Fun” Times under Biden. 

SOURCES: 
* Sen. Durbin, Critic of Duterte’s Human Rights Record, now US Senate Majority Whip {Archived Link}

* Glossary Term | Whips {Archived Link} 

* Duterte orders Entry Ban on 2 US Senators, threatens to require US Travelers to secure PHL Visa – Palace {Archived Link}

* Statement of Senators Markey, Durbin, and Leahy on the conviction of Journalist Maria Ressa in the Philippines {Archived Link}
* US Senators ask Pompeo: What is Washington’s response to ‘gross’ Human Rights Abuses in Philippines? {Archived Link}

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