Who is Senator Leila de Lima?
FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND DEMOCRACY.
Senator Leila M. de Lima is one of the staunchest voices in the Philippine human rights and justice fronts. On her first time running for public office, she was elected Senator in 2016. She immediately launched an inquiry into the administration's war on drugs which has left thousands dead. For this, De Lima was recognized by Foreign Policy as among its Leading Global Thinkers for "standing up to an extremist leader".
Appointed as Chair of the Commission on Human Rights (2008–2010), De Lima led a team of young lawyers and human rights activists in investigating extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and all forms of human rights violations throughout the country.
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As Secretary of the Department of Justice (2010–2015), De Lima resolved high-profile cases, including the prosecution of several prominent figures linked in the misuse of public funds, the mass murder of media workers in Mindanao, and the dangerous raids of the prison cells for maximum security inmates, subsequently exposing and ending their luxurious lifestyle.
De Lima was also part of the government's legal team that received favorable ruling over the Philippines’ case against China’s maritime claims from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
It was also under her watch as head of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking that the Philippines was removed from the US Human Trafficking Watchlist, paving the way for its long-hoped-for upgrade to Tier 1 status.
Like her father, De Lima also made strides as one of the most prominent election lawyers in the country, handling high-profile cases of electoral fraud for national and local candidates.
Elected senator in 2016, De Lima now sets her eyes on shepherding meaningful policy and structural reforms into laws intended to improve the country’s criminal justice system, promote human rights, strengthen the rule of law, fighting graft and corruption, and introducing changes in the Constitution and election laws.