Press Release
December 28, 2019

Dispatch from Crame No. 687:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Response to 'Thinking Pinoy's Claim of Fake News on the US Entry Ban

12/28/19

To 'Thinking Pinoy', I note with gladness that you at least made the effort to look up the Appropriations Law before commenting. However, interpreting US appropriations Law requires more due diligence than just looking at one document and, thereafter, promptly concluding that it does not contain the provision banning my persecutors from entry into the US.

So let me help you understand.

The operations of the US Federal Government are, to say it simplistically, very broad and complex. So, preparing for its budget will be more complicated than what we usually do here.

In this case, the US Congress passed a large, single appropriations bill called an "omnibus bill", in which the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations (SFOPs) language is included. The Final Bill is what you have presumably browsed.

But the omnibus bill includes by reference as an intrinsic part thereof the Final Explanatory Statement, which makes reference to accompanying guiding reports.

In the first page of the Explanatory Statement, it states that unless specifically negated therein, the Report language originally included in the House and Senate SFOPs bill remains in force.

This brings us to the Senate SFOPs bill report language. The provision banning my persecutors is stated therein and it was not specifically negated by the Explanatory Report. Hence, it remains in force.

Let me summarize in 4 simple steps:

Step 1. Look at the Final Bill, which refers to the Explanatory Statement.

Step 2. Now, look at the Explanatory Statement, which makes reference to the House and Senate SFOPs bill Reports.

Step 3. Look at the Senate SFOPs bill Report, specifically top of page 93. There you will see what you are looking for. It's the "Prohibition on Entry" provision which specifically mentions, and made applicable to, my situation.

Step 4. Go back to the Explanatory Statement and ask yourself--does it specifically negate the language you found on page 93? You will see that it does not.

Therefore, the entry ban is in effect.

In short, it's not fake news. ###

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 687, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_no._687)

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