Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima thanked six local business organizations for expressing concern for her plight by urging the Philippine government to swiftly resolve the two remaining trumped-up drug cases filed against her by the current government.
De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, received the support of the Filipina CEO Circle, Integrity Initiative Inc., Judicial Reform Initiative, Makati Business Club, Philippine Women’s Economic Network, and Women’s Business Council Philippines.
“I express my most profound gratitude to the six business groups for their statement of support and solidarity as I welcomed my 5th year in unjust detention last Feb. 24,” she said.
“Their solidarity means a lot to me, a further proof that there are many groups out there monitoring the status of my cases and my unjust detention; and that people care, not just for me but for the way justice system works in our country.
“Sa loob ng anim na taon, malinaw ang ginawang inhustisya hindi lang sa akin ng rehimeng Duterte, kundi sa buong bansa—sa paglapastangan sa karapatan ng ating mamamayan, sa ating mga institusyon, at sa ating ekonomiya. Kaya tiwala ako na marami pang magsasalita at maninindigan para isulong ang tama at makatarungan,” she added.
The abovementioned groups urged the Duterte administration to “reconsider” the remaining charges pending against De Lima in a joint statement released last Feb. 23.
They lamented how the remaining charges against De Lima have not progressed after five years, which should have been “adequate time for the government, with all the powers of the state behind it, to prosecute its case against a citizen whose contact with lawyers, family, supporters and the outside world they have severely curtailed.”
By reconsidering the remaining two charges, the groups said that “the government may be doing justice, however belatedly.”
“It would also be a step toward improving the country’s reputation for upholding the rule of law, which is a foundation for a safe society and a growing, inclusive economy,” they added.
World News
TDPel Media
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