August 1, 2024 — Free and exonerated, Philippine human rights defender Leila de Lima is telling the story of her pursuit of justice and vindication.
On June 24, 2024, the former senator was acquitted of the last of the three drug-related charges filed against her by the government of now ex-president Rodrigo Duterte.
De Lima’s legal victory was welcomed by David Hartman, Canada’s ambassador to the Philippines.
Former senator Leila de Lima with David Hartman, Canada's Ambassador to the Philippines. Photo from David Hartman's Twitter.
On the day of de Lima’s acquittal, Hartman posted on the social media platform Twitter, now X,: “Transparency, evidence, and independence of the judiciary are essential to our democratic systems of justice.”
Hartman was among the foreign diplomats in Manila who met de Lima at a recent gathering hosted by German Ambassador to the Philippines, Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke.
The German envoy on July 10 posted on X: “Thank you, Hon. Senator Leila de Lima, for sharing your heartbreaking story with us tonight! Your fight for justice and human rights is a beacon of hope, your acquittal a huge victory. The world must not forget!”
Hartman reposted his German counterpart’s message on the social media platform.
Detained during the Duterte administration for almost seven years, de Lima was grateful.
On X, de Lima wrote: “Thank you Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke @germanyinphl
for the very warm reception last night. Thank you also to the other Ambassadors (the US, Canada, France, Brazil, Argentina) and Embassy representatives (EU and UK) for gracing the evening.”
“I could feel the group's profound sense of compassion when listening to my story. Very candid and spirited conversations on various issues - democracy, human rights and good governance. These are shared values that know no borders. Mabuhay!”
Based on another post by de Lima, she had another engagement with a separate group of diplomats.
Her July 11 post mentioned a luncheon hosted by the ambassador of Denmark, which saw the attendance of ambassadors from the EU, Sweden, and Romania.
“Truly enlightening,” de Lima wrote about the gathering.
De Lima’s row with Duterte started in 2009, when as the chief of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights, she led an investigation into widespread killings of drug suspects in Davao City, where the future president was then the mayor.
She later became the country’s justice secretary. In 2016, de Lima was elected senator and Duterte as president of the country.
As a senator, de Lima pursued an investigation into then president Duterte’s war on drugs, which critics alleged led to numerous extra-judicial executions at the hands of police and security forces.
The International Criminal Court is currently looking into the Duterte administration’s bloody drug crackdown.
In 2017, de Lima was arrested, and it wasn’t until November 2023 that she was freed on bail after she was cleared of two of the three drug charges.
Even though she was under detention, de Lima ran for another term in the Philippine Senate in 2022. She was not allowed to campaign, and she lost.
She and her supporters have maintained that the charges were meant to silence her and amounted to political persecution.
De Lima was accused of colluding with drug syndicates while she was justice minister, and taking drug money to finance her 2016 senatorial campaign.
The Canadian embassy in the Philippines under Hartman has kept a close watch over developments in de Lima’s situation.
When de Lima was granted bail on November 13, 2023, the Manila Bulletin newspaper reported that the Canadian embassy was the first diplomatic mission in the Philippines to welcome the news.
"We will continue to follow her situation closely, with the expectation of (a) rapid resolution of proceedings in the case against her," the embassy said.
The Manila Bulletin also reported that Canadian embassy indicated that it expects that "her case will be concluded in full conformity with the laws of the Philippines, and in line with the Philippines’ international human rights obligations”.
In an article published by Amnesty International on March 20, 2024, de Lima wrote that she was a “clear victim of injustice”.
“Their whole idea is to silence me, to destroy me. The whole state apparatus went after me on orders of Mr Duterte. All of this was orchestrated to satisfy the pleasure of a vindictive president.”
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