MANILA, Philippines – Days after her detention, detained Senator Leila de Lima personally wrote a letter to her family, urging them to be strong.

In her letter, copies of which were given to the media on Thursday, March 2, De Lima said that she is continuously praying for strength and fortitude as she faces this challenge in her life. (READ: De Lima’s fate: Karma or political persecution?)

“I pray for more strength and fortitude. Let’s all be strong. Love you all,” the senator told her family in a letter dated March 1.  

De Lima has two sons, Israel and Vincent. (READ: De Lima prepares family ahead of ‘expected’ arrest)

De Lima, the fiercest critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, has repeatedly said that she had long anticipated her arrest, based on the pronouncements of the Chief Executive himself. (READ: Duterte: De Lima will surely go to jail)

But while this is the case, she said her “whole being cries out for truth and justice.” The senator added she is leaving her fate up to God.

“While I’m psychologically prepared for this, my whole being cries out for truth and justice. My heart also bleeds for all other victims of injustice – those who were also falsely accused and now cramped in severely congested jails,” she said in the letter.

“But God, who is all-knowing and infinitely good and just, will make sure that EVIL will not triumph,” she said.

‘I won’t be silenced’

In a separate statement, De Lima said she would not be silenced by the threats of Duterte. She, however, remains fearful of her life in jail despite the assurance of Malacañang and the Philippine National Police.

“Matagal ko nang inihanda ang aking sarili sa pangyayaring ito. Ngayong natupad na ang agenda laban sa akin ng rehimeng Duterte, imbes na ako ay panghinaan, ay lalo akong nabubuhayan ng loob na ituloy ang aking ipinaglalaban. Dahil kung mananahimik lang ako, hinayaan ko na rin ang rehimeng ito na ibilang ako sa mahigit pitong libo nating kababayan na pinaslang ng madugong kampanya laban sa droga,” she said.

(I have long prepared myself for this. Now that the Duterte regime’s agenda against me happened already, instead of feeling weaker, I am all the more motivated to continue my fight. Because if I stay silent, it’s short of allowing this regime to include me in the more than 7,000 of our fellowmen who died in the bloody war on drugs.)

“Each day I am here, my life is at risk. I can never trust him because he is a murderer and he is capable of having me killed. While I have no complaints about my custodians – they are very professional and courteous – I feel completely defenseless here. Each day I am detained is a day of injustice. What is being done to me is extraordinary,” she added.

An arrest warrant against De Lima, who has insisted on her innocence, was issued on Thursday, February 23 over drug charges filed against her on the basis of high-level convicts’ testimonies.

But the warrant was only served on Friday, February 24, when De Lima surrendered to police officials waiting for her at the Senate. She is detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, the police headquarters.

Her camp has filed petitions before the Supreme Court, questioning her detention and seeking for a temporary restraining order (TRO). The SC has set the oral arguments on De Lima’s case on March 14. – Rappler.com