• Duterte rival Leila de Lima got bail after six years in jail.
• International pressure has mounted for her release.
• Amnesty International reports around 7,000 suspected drug dealers.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s prominent critic, ex-senator Leila de Lima, secured bail on Monday after nearly seven years in detention on charges linked to Duterte’s controversial drug war.

De Lima, accused of accepting drug money, maintains that the case against her is politically motivated. Many witnesses who testified against her have retracted their statements since Duterte’s term concluded last year. International pressure has mounted for her release.

Duterte is presently in the spotlight despite facing an International Criminal Court investigation for alleged crimes against humanity related to the bloody drug war.

Amnesty International reports around 7,000 suspected drug dealers were summarily executed during the six-year campaign.

European Union Ambassador Luc Veron expressed his satisfaction with de Lima’s release, considering it a significant step for the rule of law in the Philippines. He hoped for the expeditious resolution of remaining charges.

De Lima will be released on bail, contrasting with Duterte’s successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who has scaled back the anti-drug campaign since assuming office in June last year.

Having served five years of her six-year senatorial term from behind bars, de Lima also lost her re-election bid in 2022. During Duterte’s 28-year tenure as mayor of Davao and later as president, de Lima emerged as his persistent critic.

She served as chairperson of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights and later as justice minister when Duterte was mayor.

Duterte extended his controversial drug war nationwide as president, with police conducting door-to-door searches and suspects being shot for allegedly resisting arrest. Multiple investigations revealed police abuses.

Duterte’s allies in the House of Representatives held televised hearings on allegations against de Lima in addition to criminal proceedings.

These hearings exposed embarrassing details about her affair with her driver, who initially claimed to have delivered bribe money to de Lima but later retracted his statement.

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