Senator Leila De Lima AFP FILE PHOTO
“You can never put a strong woman down,” said opposition senators on Thursday as they lauded Senator Leila de Lima for being recognized by the American global affairs magazine “Foreign Policy” as one of 2017’s leading Global Thinkers.
READ: Int’l magazine names De Lima anew as a Leading Global Thinker
The senator joined the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French President Emmanuel Macron, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and human rights activist Ai Weiwei in the list.
De Lima, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, was hailed by the publication “for openly defying Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte—and paying the price.”
The senator is currently detained pending her trial for drug charges over her alleged involvement in the narcotics trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
The Senate’s opposition bloc said the “Foreign Policy” magazine could not have bestowed the title on “a more deserving public servant.”
“Sen. Leila’s dedication to the cause of justice and human rights in the country, especially where it concerns the brutal war on drugs that has taken thousands of lives in the span of a year, has not gone unnoticed,” the opposition senators said in a joint statement.
“Despite her detention, she remains true to her principles, and is resolute and unwavering in her beliefs. Sen. Leila’s continued battle gives hope and courage to those who feel helpless amid the rampant injustices in our society,” they said.
De Lima was also included in the publication’s 2016 leading Global Thinkers “for standing up to an extremist leader.”
Senators Bam Aquino, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV issued the joint statement. /jpv