De Lima - hailed as the 4th Most Influential Women of 2019 by London-based business newspaper

Another award for detained senator Leila De Lima.

The lady senator from the Bicol province has just been hailed as the 4th Most Influential Women of 2019 by London-based business newspaper Financial Times.

“The Filipino senator remains detained over drugs allegations that she and her supporters say were fabricated,” read De Lima’s description on the newspaper. 

Opposition senator Leila De Lima
(photo credit to owner)

“De Lima had led a human rights investigation against Rodrigo Duterte into alleged extrajudicial killings that took place while he was mayor of Davao City. Her handwritten dispatches from her cell are incisive missives and commentary on the issues the Philippines faces,” it adds.

Detained since Feb 2017

The opposition senator from the Liberal party has been detained since February 2017 in the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters, Camp Crame in Quezon city for allegations involving her in the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa city, while she was the justice secretary during the Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s administration.

The proliferation of the illegal trade then was supposedly in exchange for the much needed funds for her senatorial campaign in 2016.

Call for De Lima’s release

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni”Robredo a Liberal Party colleague of the detained senator has made a call for her release.

“More than two years na na hindi siya pinapayagang gawin iyong kaniyang trabaho to the fullest. While nakaka-participate naman siya sa paghain ng rmga panukalang batas, iba pa rin kung nandoon siya na nakaka-participate sa debate, nakakapagboto. Sana, soonest possible time matapos na ito,” said Robredo.

(More than two years she has not been allowed to do her job to the fullest. While she was participating in the filing of proposed measures, it’s still different if she is present to participate in the debate and voting. I hope this will be over in the soonest possible time.)

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Report from PhilStar