‘Not truly free as a nation’: Rights advocates decry De Lima’s continued detention

MANILA, Philippines – As the Philippines marked its 125th independence anniversary on Monday, June 12, human rights advocates said the continued detention of former senator Leila De Lima showed that the country was not truly free. 

“The fact that political prisoners like former Sen. Leila de Lima exist shows that we are not truly free as a nation, where human rights defenders, truthtellers, dissenters, and freedom fighters are persecuted and jailed for their political beliefs and acts advocating for social justice and change,” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay told Rappler on Monday.  

De Lima has been acquitted in two of her three drug-related charges in February 2021 and in May 2023. Her motion for bail in her third case was denied by the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 256 June 7.

Former Bayan Muna representative Teddy Casiño said De Lima’s “unjust and cruel detention is a big indictment on rule of law and human rights.”

“Her case shows the weaponization of the law by those in power and gross violation of human rights of those who, like her, actually defend human rights,” he said.

After 125 years since Philippines’ independence was declared, Casiño said “our country remains a far cry from the independent and democratic republic.”

Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno also lamented the continued detention of the former senator on Independence Day.

“It is sad that, once again, former Senator Leila de Lima will be celebrating Independence Day inside prison due to the court’s decision to dismiss her request for bail in a case based solely on the testimony of convicted criminals,” Diokno said. 

Despite this, Diokno said he “believes that the truth will prevail and it will be proven that Atty. de Lima is innocent.”

De Lima is one of the fiercest critics of Duterte’s war on drugs. Based on government data, at least 6,252 people were killed in police operations alone. If the victims of extrajudicial killings are taken into account, the estimated death toll ranges from 27,000 to 30,000.

De Lima was also the chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights who went to Davao City to investigate the extrajudicial killings carried out by the Davao Death Squad allegedly upon the orders of then-mayor Duterte. Those EJKs are the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court. – with reports from Jairo Bolledo/Rappler.com