Sen. Leila de Lima. Image from her Twitter account
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday endorsed Senator Leila de Lima’s reelection bid next year, calling this move a “fight for truth and justice.”
“I support and endorse the decision of Senator Leila de Lima to pursue reelection. Sen. De Lima’s reelection bid next year will be a fight for truth and justice,” Drilon said in a statement, shortly after De Lima announced her reelection bid from her detention cell.
“In the face of growing threats to our rights and freedom, the nation needs leaders who will guard our democracy and champion human rights and social justice,” he added.
De Lima spent most of her first term as senator inside the Philippine National Police Custodial Center where she has been detained since 2017 for what she called trumped up drug-related charges.
But even behind bars, De Lima continued to perform her duties and functions as senator, Drilon pointed out.
“In the face of her four-year ordeal, she has never shown weakness,” he said. “She bravely continues to call out the administration’s inadequacy and speak out on issues that matter to the Filipino people.”
“Fierce and unyielding, Senator Leila de Lima is a leader and a fighter we need today,” the minority leader added.
De Lima, who is part of the minority bloc in the Senate, cited her “unjust” detention as one reason that prompted her to seek another term and work harder to fight against “injustice and defend human rights at all cost.”