De Lima confirms Senate bid, to resign from DOJ

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday confirmed that she will be seeking for a Senate seat in the 2016 national elections.

In an interview on ANC's Headstart, De Lima said she will be resigning from her post in the Department of Justice (DOJ) effective October 12.

READ: De Lima bids farewell to DOJ in speech

The Justice secretary added that she and President Benigno Aquino III have a common choice for her replacement as DOJ chief.

De Lima said that she will focus on electoral and human rights reforms if ever she is elected senator.

She noted that she is "heartened" that she has a strong showing in recent pre-election surveys. De Lima scored 35.2 percent in the latest Pulse Asia senatorial preference survey.

The Liberal Party is set to announce its vice presidential candidate on Monday, but is yet to declare its senatorial lineup, citing some "issues."

LIVE UPDATES: Liberal Party declares VP bet