Three US senators celebrate Leila de Lima acquittal on ‘bogus’ case

From left: US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The senators celebrate the acquittal of former Senator Leila de Lima on her final case. FILE PHOTOS

WASHINGTON – Three US senators have celebrated the acquittal of former Senator Leila de Lima on her final drug-related case, praising de Lima for “her bravery in putting her own freedom on the line to uphold the Philippines’ democratic principles.”

“We celebrate that Senator Leila de Lima is finally free and cleared of the bogus, politically motivated charges against her,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in a joint statement released on Wednesday.

The senators said de Lima was detained by the Duterte government on “trumped-up charges” in 2017 and jailed for nearly seven years “due to her outspoken defense of human rights and rule of law in the Philippines, particularly as it applied to the War on Drugs.”

“We commend Senator de Lima for her bravery in putting her own freedom on the line to uphold the Philippines’ democratic principles, “ the statement said.

“Her unyielding commitment to truth is an inspiration for us all as we continue to call for justice for the other victims of the War on Drugs, and the welcome resolution of her cases will help our countries better focus on our broader alliance and many shared common interests.”

Senators Markey, Durbin and Merkley have repeatedly called for the release of political prisoners, including de Lima, and for the false charges against her to be dropped.

The three senators also celebrated her release on bail in November 2023.

Additionally, Senators Markey and Durbin, along with Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), introduced a bipartisan resolution that raised human rights concerns in the Philippines.

“For almost seven years, de Lima has been held by the Government of the Philippines on dubious charges, even after multiple government witnesses recanted,” the statement said.

Since her arrest, there have been numerous congressional efforts to support her release and promote human rights and democracy in the Philippines more broadly.

The US State Department earlier this week also welcomed de Lima’s acquittal on her final case and urged the Philippine government to resolve politically motivated cases in a manner consistent with its international human rights obligations.