Politics

Leila De Lima on Duterte’s arrest: “This is not about vengeance”

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM by Daniel Joseph Navalta 3 min read

- Former Senator Leila De Lima called former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest deeply personal, recalling her own imprisonment on what she says were fabricated charges

- She emphasized that Duterte must now face justice not in public opinion but under the rule of law

- De Lima stated that his arrest is not about vengeance but about accountability for the victims of his drug war

- Lastly, she acknowledged the efforts of human rights advocates and families of victims, saying their fight for justice continues

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Former Senator Leila De Lima, a longtime critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has issued a statement following his arrest, calling it a significant moment in the fight for justice.

“This is deeply personal for me,” De Lima said. “For almost seven years, I was imprisoned on fabricated charges, accused of crimes I did not commit—all because I dared to speak out against Duterte’s drug war. While I was behind bars, thousands of Filipinos were killed without justice, their families left to grieve with no answers, no accountability.”

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Rody Duterte — Rodrigo Duterte / Leila De Lima
Source: Facebook

De Lima, who was detained in 2017 over drug-related charges she consistently maintained were politically motivated, was acquitted in 2023 after years of legal battles.

“I faced my case, knowing I was innocent. I stood before the courts because I had nothing to hide,” De Lima continued. “Duterte now has to answer for his actions, not in the court of public opinion but before the rule of law. This is how justice should work—those in power must be held to the same standards as everyone else.”

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The former president’s arrest has sent shockwaves across the country, with supporters and critics reacting strongly. While details of the charges remain under scrutiny, De Lima emphasized that the case is not about political retribution but about accountability.

“Today, Duterte is being made to answer—not to me, but to the victims, to their families, to a world that refuses to forget,” she said. “This is not about vengeance. This is about justice finally taking its course.”

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She also paid tribute to human rights advocates, families of drug war victims, and all those who have fought against extrajudicial killings.

“To those who have fought this long and difficult fight—your voices mattered, your courage mattered, and today, the pursuit of justice continues.”

Duterte, who left office in 2022, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has dismissed allegations of human rights violations under his administration.

Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte was the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines. He left Malacañang on June 30. The newly inaugurated President of the Philippines is Bongbong Marcos who got 31 million votes in the May 2022 elections. The new Vice President of the Philippines is VP Sara Duterte, the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Earlier, a video showing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s longtime partner, Honeylet Avanceña, seemingly trying to prevent the former leader from being taken into custody has gone viral. The video, which was posted on the social media page of their daughter, Veronica or Kitty Duterte and shared by ABS-CBN news on its own page, has since then gone viral. The said video also captured snippets of conversations between Avanceña and the former leader. As of this writing, the video has gained 1.2 million views with 5.4K comments and 29K reacts.