MANILA, Philippines — After human rights monitors under the United Nations (UN) called for her freedom, Former Senator Leila de Lima on Monday expressed an energized resolve “to seek justice and vindication.”
To recall, 14 rights rapporteurs and experts from the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights expressed alarm over the recent local court ruling that denied her petition for bail.
“Profound expressions of support and solidarity such as this galvanize my resolve to seek justice and vindication,” she said in a statement.
“These are enlightened minds and voices. They perfectly know what they speak of. These experts promote, protect and defend noble universal causes, in my case, the causes of Truth and Justice,” she added.
READ: Not just freedom but ‘reparations’ for De Lima – UN rights experts
She then reiterated her innocence, stressing that the drug charges and evidence against her came from convicted criminals with “highly dubious motives and credibility.”
“Their utterly uncorroborated stories are plain lies,” said the former senator.
“But my respect for the rule of law and our justice system leaves me no choice but to go through, and bear with this whole arduous process, no matter how revolting it is,” she added.
De Lima has been detained since February 24, 2017, within months of her launching a Senate inquiry into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
READ: De Lima again asks Muntinlupa court to junk ‘trumped-up’ charges
So far, De Lima has been acquitted in two of three drug-related complaints against her.
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