De Lima pleads for early freedom to vote vs death penalty

Sen. Leila de Lima.(File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/Philippine Daily Inquirer)

After almost a month in detention, detained Senator Leila de Lima is pleading for her early freedom so she could participate in the Senate’s discussion on the death penalty bill.

“With the grace of God, I fervently plead for my early freedom from this most unjust detention based on false and fabricated charges,” De Lima said in a handwritten statement on Monday.

“I am desirous of a chance to participate in the Senate deliberations on the death penalty once sessions resume and to cast my vote thereon!” she said

De Lima, who was arrested and detained at Camp Crame last February 24 for alleged drug links, is strongly against the death penalty bill, which was already approved by the House of Representatives.

“My vote is an absolute and unqualified NO to death penalty. From any standpoint ethical, moral, philosophical, legal and constitutional, the death penalty is WRONG, hence, unacceptable,” she said.

“In all fervor and earnestness, I shall fight against the reimposition of the death penalty. As Pope Francis has plainly expressed: The commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ has absolute value and applies both to the innocent and to the guilty,” the senator added.

De Lima and four other Liberal Party (LP) senators are against the death penalty.

The four others are Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Deputy Minority Leader Bam Aquino, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who is president of LP, and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, who is part of the majority bloc.

While in detention, De Lima has continued her attacks against the administration but this time, in defense of Vice President Leni Robredo, who is facing a possible impeachment complaint for criticizing the government’s war on drugs before an international body.

“VP Leni shaming our nation via her video message before a meeting of a UN body? What nonsense!!!” the lady senator said.

“Why can’t these sycophants, both inside and outside the President’s circle, accept the ugly truth that the Duterte regime has been inflicting ignominy upon itself before the international community for the unabated summary executions and other anti-human rights policies. The whole world knows exactly what’s going on here,” she added.

As former chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, De Lima initiated a Senate probe on alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

She was later ousted from the post and charged for alleged drug links while she was justice secretary. JE/rga