In a significant development, a Philippine court has dismissed the final case against former Senator Leila de Lima, a prominent critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his controversial “war on drugs.” De Lima had been imprisoned during Duterte’s presidency after years of investigating drug-related killings.
De Lima faced multiple charges in 2017, shortly after initiating a senate inquiry into Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign, which witnessed the deaths of numerous drug users and dealers at the hands of the police or under mysterious circumstances. Critics and human rights groups accused the police of executing drug suspects without due process, while the police maintained that they acted in self-defense.
Duterte, whose term ended in 2022, accused de Lima of colluding with drug gangs during her tenure as justice minister. However, on Monday, the case against de Lima was dismissed by a southern Manila courtroom due to insufficient evidence, marking her complete freedom and vindication.
Expressing her emotions, de Lima told reporters, “I am now completely free and vindicated. It’s very liberating.” She further shared her gratitude for the support she received, stating, “My heart is full with all the love pouring in today after the dismissal of all my cases.”
De Lima had been arrested in 2017 while serving as a senator and spent over six years in jail while facing trial for three drug-trafficking charges. She was granted bail in November of the previous year and had already been cleared of the other two drug charges. The final drug case, which was overturned on Monday, alleged that de Lima had accepted money from inmates in the country’s largest prison between 2010 and 2015, enabling them to continue selling drugs.
De Lima consistently maintained that the charges against her were fabricated to support Duterte’s aggressive anti-narcotics campaign. Throughout the lengthy trials, multiple witnesses, including prison gang leaders, either died or recanted their testimonies.
In addition to the drug-related charges, the court also dismissed another case accusing de Lima of pressuring a former employee to ignore a 2016 summons from the House of Representatives regarding the illegal drug trade in Philippine prisons. This particular charge carried a penalty ranging from a fine to six months in prison.
Amnesty International welcomed the dismissal of what they referred to as “bogus charges” against de Lima, emphasizing that it was long overdue after her nearly seven years of arbitrary detention and relentless political persecution.
It is worth noting that Duterte is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court for his role in the anti-drugs campaign. De Lima stated on Monday that she intends to continue assisting the court with its probe.
