MANILA, Philippines — Supporters of detained Sen. Leila de Lima, a fierce critic of the Duterte administration, trooped to Camp Crame on Saturday to give roses to the embattled lawmaker, who is marking her first year in detention.
De Lima’s supporters assembled a motorcade to give her 365 flowers, which symbolizes each day she spent in detention.
“Leila de Lima, palayain (set her free),” they shouted. “Pekeng ebidensya, ibasura (Junk fake evidence).”
Former President Benigno Aquino III also visited De Lima at Camp Crame to celebrate mass with her together with other high profile guests, including former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
According to the detained senator’s camp, members of the media were barred from covering De Lima’s visitors.
De Lima was arrested on Feb. 24, 2017 on drug charges she says were hurled against her as part of a presidential vendetta.
A former justice secretary, she launched a Senate probe into alleged unlawful killings by the police under President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Early this week, members of the Senate minority have filed a resolution calling for the release of De Lima.
On Oct. 10 2017, the Supreme Court voted 9-6 to junk De Lima's petition seeking to nullify her arrest. But De Lima's team, led by former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, filed a motion for reconsideration on November 3.
The high court has yet to act on it.
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