Here They Come to Save the Day

The call has been heard and now the troops are coming to the aid of Senator Leila De Lima.

http://interaksyon.com/article/138317/global-interparliamentary-body-to-visit-de-lima-conduct-fact-finding-mission-on-leilas-case

What is the Inter-Parliamentary Union?

The IPU is the international organization of Parliaments (Article 1 of the Statutes of the Inter-Parliamentary Union). It was established in 1889.

The Union is the focal point for world-wide parliamentary dialogue and works for peace and co-operation among peoples and for the firm establishment of representative democracy.

To that end, it:

• Fosters contacts, co-ordination, and the exchange of experience among parliaments and parliamentarians of all countries;
• Considers questions of international interest and concern and expresses its views on such issues in order to bring about action by parliaments and parliamentarians;
• Contributes to the defence and promotion of human rights - an essential factor of parliamentary democracy and development;
• Contributes to better knowledge of the working of representative institutions and to the strengthening and development of their means of action.

http://www.ipu.org/english/whatipu.htm

Sounds like a whole lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.  So they foster dialogue between governments in an effort to further the cause of democracy in the world.  Their website lists "women in politics", "human rights", "sustainable development", and "education, science, and culture" as a few of their main areas of activity.  http://www.ipu.org/iss-e/issues.htm

That is a far cry from the initial reason of its foundation:

The organisation's initial objective was the arbitration of conflicts. The IPU played an important part in setting up the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Over time, its mission has evolved towards the promotion of democracy and inter-parliamentary dialogue. The IPU has worked for establishment of institutions at the inter-governmental level, including the United Nations, an organization with which it cooperates and with which it has permanent observer status.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter-Parliamentary_Union 

Basically the IPU is just another worthless international governmental body.  Human rights and women in government?  Members of the IPU include Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, and Myanmar as members. Those are countries known for their disdain of both human rights and women in government.

Now forgive my ignorance but I have never even heard of this body until today. Not even during my schooldays when studying WW I and the League of Nations did the IPU cross my radar. Why is that? It's because the United Nations does exactly what they do on a much larger scale which makes the IPU even less relevant than the UN. The IPU may have been first but the UN has taken the lead.  The IPU has permanent observer status at the UN and the two organisations work together closely. Seems like the IPU might as well be absorbed into the UN somehow.  

Here is the document where the IPU recommends inquiring further into De Lima's case. The section concerning her starts on page 33.

http://www.ipu.org/pdf/hrres200-en.pdf?utm_source=Inter-Parliamentary+Union+%28IPU%29&utm_campaign=cf9a2e712a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d1ccee59b3-cf9a2e712a-258895453

I will spare you from having to read the whole thing and tell you that it ends with 11 statements wherein the IPU expresses deep concern, regular concern, wishes for more details, and a request that the case continue to be examined with a visit to the Philippines to meet with the Senate, De Lima, and her lawyers recommended.

In short it's a whole lot of hot air. It's less than sound and fury signifying nothing.  It is pure bureaucratic nonsense and gibberish, a thick fustian of bombast, and the most pompous baboonery typical of any government document. These resolutions resolve to do nothing more than to continue gathering facts of which it already has plenty. What more will a visit to the Philippines get them?  A good tongue lashing from Duterte no doubt.

Robredo appeals to the UN in a video. De Lima looks to the EU Parliament and the ICC to secure her release.  And this is the international body coming to the rescue of Senator Leila De Lima? The irrelevant and invisible Inter-Parliamentary Union? It's like asking the President to send the Army but instead he sends the Cub Scouts.

What a joke.