One front page news that may have been missed by people is the public apology of whistle-blower Sandra Cam, who apologized to former senator Leila de Lima for allowing herself to be used as a tool for falsely implicating the former senator in the illegal drug trade. Cam is even reported to have apologized for being “used as a tool” for the imprisonment of the former senator and secretary of justice. At a press briefing, she said: “I witnessed and shared her hardships of being unjustly imprisoned. I have asked her for her forgiveness and I have expressed regret over my mistakes.”
There are indications that the judiciary may be willing to review some of its long pending cases. Sandra Cam herself has been released after several years of imprisonment. The most hopeful news comes from the Nobel Peace Laureate Maria Ressa’s acquittal of her tax cases by the Court of Tax Appeals. This has been seen worldwide as a victory for press freedom.
Former senator Leila de Lima has had a much lauded career. She has received numerous citations over the past decade. Among these were her awards in 2015 like the Bayabay Award by the Federation of Philippine Industries, the Gawad Kadakilaan para sa Paglilingkod sa Bayan by the Youthlead Philippines. In 2016, Foreign Policy included de Lima among the lists of global thinkers. She was also chosen as one of the keynote speakers on cultural diplomacy in Berlin, Germany.
In February 2017, Amnesty International recognized de Lima as a “prisoner of conscience, deprived of liberty solely for her political beliefs and for peacefully defending human rights.” In the same year, TIME magazine included de Lima among its list of 100 Most Influential People for “speaking truth to power.” Again in May 2017, Amnesty International cited de Lima as one of the notable “Women Human Rights Defenders” under threat. In October, the NGO Liberal International conferred on de Lima the “Prize for Freedom Award.” It should be noted that she is only the second Filipino to receive this human rights record from Liberal International, after the late president Corazon Aquino in 1987. Foreign Policy hailed de Lima as one of the leading global rethinkers.
The following year in 2018, she topped the Asia Correspondents’ list of five politically persecuted leaders in Southeast Asia for defying the norm and defending human rights. She was also listed by the same organization as among the five “power women of Southeast Asia.” The Diplomat listed de Lima among its ASEAN women to watch. Fortune magazine included her in the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” and Amnesty International awarded her as the most distinguished human rights defender for the year.
Leila de Lima served as chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights from 2008 to 2010. Then from 2010-2015, she served as the secretary of the Department of Justice. One of her achievements was that as head of the InterAgency Council against Trafficking (IACAT), the Philippines was removed from the US Human Trafficking Watch List. It was also during her term that she was responsible for overseeing the Maguindanao massacre case.
In 2016, she was elected Philippine senator. Among the bills that she authored were the Magna Carta of the Poor, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act, the National Senior Citizens Commission and the community-based Monitoring Systems Act. During her term, she was the chairperson of the Senate committee on social justice, welfare and rural development.
She has also an outstanding scholastic background. She graduated in 1980 with the Dean Medal’s Award in AB History-Political Science at De La Salle University Manila. In 1985, she graduated class salutatorian and was an awardee for her law degree in San Beda College Manila where she served as editor in chief of the San Beda Law Journal.
Leila Norma Josefina Magistrado de Lima was born Aug. 27, 1959 in Iriga City, Camarines Sur. She has two sons, Israel and Vincent, and two grandchildren, Brandon and Hannah. In her life devoted to law and public service, she has been known to uphold the values of integrity, honesty and competence that were instilled in her by her parents. In 1985, she placed 8th in the Bar exams.
What an irony that someone internationally honored as a defender of human rights is herself a victim. This is an individual that should not be allowed to languish in detention.
I sincerely and strongly believe that it is time that Leila de Lima is set free.
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Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com