De Lima thanks LP for continued concern about her plight

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today expressed gratitude to her colleagues at the Liberal Party (LP) for their expression of serious concern about her continued political persecution and for their call for her immediate release from unjust detention.

De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, said she greatly appreciates LP's unanimous decision to adopt a resolution which also recognizes her sincerest efforts in defending justice, human rights and the rule of law.

"During these trying times when the President continues to use his unlimited power to besmirch the reputation, if not jail those who challenge his policies, I am extremely thankful for the concerns of my partymates about my personal and work conditions and their firm belief in my innocence," she said.

"Their effort to fight with me and for me no matter the cost does not only remind me that I am not alone in my fight, but also further bolsters my courage to tirelessly defy my oppressors and resist the breakdown of the rule of law and the rise of a culture of impunity," she added.

Last Sept. 25, the LP's National Executive Council (NECO) unanimously adopted Resolution No. NECO-2018-02, which, among others, condemned the continued political persecution of De Lima, called for her immediate release, and sought the creation of a task group to support her legal, legislative and work-related concerns.

Through the resolution, LP also echoed the calls of various organizations worldwide for the observance of fair and impartial trial of the Senator's cases, for provision of adequate personal security, and for immediate removal of undue restrictions on her work conditions, among others.

"Her arrest and continuing incarceration have been preceded and accompanied by a vicious and unprecedented campaign of personal vilification, character-assassination, and slut-shaming from no less than the Philippine president and his allies," the resolution said.

Likewise, in its two-page resolution, the Liberal Party noted that De Lima's steadfast commitment and advocacy for human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the country deserve to be recognized and be brought to public's consciousness.

The Senator from Bicol said she believes that with the presence of individuals like her partymates who are not cowed to demand for justice, the evil that is Mr. Duterte will never succeed in his malevolent plans.

"It may be easy for Duterte, his minions and his army of paid trolls to dismiss valid criticisms about the present administration as another political interference, but when the day of reckoning comes, justice will catch up with them and there is no other way for them but to suffer the consequences of their wrongdoings," she said.

As early as Feb. 14 this year, LP called for De Lima's release from detention saying that her experience was a "classic case of 'nagmahal sa bayan, sinaktan, kinulong, pinagkakaitan ng karapatan.'"

As a dominant opposition political party in the country today, LP is just one of the growing number of supporters who have expressed serious concern over the illegal arrest and unjust detention of De Lima over trumped-up drug trade charges.