De Lima: I was right to sacrifice my freedom to fight for human rights

Former senator Leila de Lima – six years into her detention – said she was right in sacrificing her freedom to fight for human rights. FreeLeilaDeLimaNow

MANILA, Philippines – Former senator Leila de Lima – six years into her detention – said she was right in sacrificing her freedom to fight for human rights.

“Six years I stood my ground. And today, after 6 years, I am still fighting for my own innocence and for justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings and the families they left behind,” the former justice secretary said in her handwritten statement on Friday, February 24. “Today, more than ever, I am convinced that I did the right thing of sacrificing my personal liberty and even my political career. I strongly believe that my vindication is at hand. But even if they continue to try to silence me, I refuse to cower,” the opposition leader added.

February 24, 2023 marks De Lima’s 6th year in detention after she was arrested in 2017 for drug-related charges. The former chair of the Commission on Human Rights , who was one of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s most vocal critics, was accused of allegedly enabling the drug trade in the national penitentiary to fund her 2016 senatorial run.

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