FILE PHOTO: Sen. Leila de Lima. Image from her Twitter account
MANILA, Philippines — While her rivals were out holding political rallies and motorcades on Tuesday, Senator Leila de Lima kicked off her reelection bid relying heavily on “proxies,” pre-recorded video messages, and statements from her detention room.
Since February 2017, De Lima is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center over what she described as “trumped-up” drug charges against her.
Her “continued unjust detention” would never prevent her from fighting for her advocacies, according to the senator.
But “to mount a strong campaign” while in detention, De Lima said she has to depend heavily on her campaign team, representatives, and handwritten statements from Camp Crame.
READ: De Lima says ‘conviction’ won’t stop her re-election bid
“Given my situation as PDL (person deprived of liberty), my reelection bid is, in real and palpable terms, handicapped or disadvantaged,” she wrote in her latest dispatch from Camp Crame.
“Kaya umaasa po ako na sa pamamagitan ng aking mga surrogates o proxies sa mga sorties, pre-recorded video messages, at syempre, mga dispatches from Crame, ay mapaparating ko po sa mga botante ang aking mga saloobin, hangarin at plataporma. Maraming salamat po sa tiwala at suporta,” De Lima further said in the statement.
(That’s why I’m hoping that through my surrogates or proxies in the sorties, pre-recorded video messages, and of course, dispatches from Crame, I would be able to communicate to voters my advocacies and platforms)
The senator also thanked her volunteers and supporters, whom she described as the “backbone” of her campaign.
“I cannot emphasize enough how much you all have fueled even further the burning desire in my heart to keep fighting the good fight for all of us,” she said.
“Let us not be afraid. Let us stand and fight and fight more. Para sa minamahal nating bansang Pilipinas. Para sa inyong kinabukasan at ng mga susunod pang henerasyon. Sama-sama: #LeilabanTayo!” she stressed.
(Let us not be afraid. Let us stand and fight and fight more. For our beloved country. For your future and the next generation. Together, we will fight)
De Lima, who hails from Iriga City, Camarines Sur, said she is seeking re-election to help the country stand back on its feet, strengthen the fight against violence and injustice, and continue pushing for her advocacies.
Her campaign team joined the tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo, who is running for president, and Senator Kiko Pangilinan, who is running for vice president, and their senatorial slate as they barnstormed the Bicol region at the start of the official campaign period this Tuesday, February 8.
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