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Leila de Lima
Senator of the Philippines
Assumed office
June 30, 2016
Chair of the Philippine Senate
Electoral Reforms and
People's Participation Committee
In office
July 25, 2016 – July 24, 2018
Preceded byAquilino Pimentel III
Succeeded byAquilino Pimentel III
Chair of the Philippine Senate
Justice and Human Rights Committee
In office
July 25, 2016 – September 19, 2016
Preceded byAquilino Pimentel III
Succeeded byRichard J. Gordon
Secretary of Justice
In office
June 30, 2010 – October 12, 2015
PresidentBenigno Aquino III
Preceded byAlberto Agra (acting)
Succeeded byAlfredo Caguioa (acting)
Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights
In office
May 2008 – June 30, 2010
PresidentGloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded byPurificacion Quisumbing
Succeeded byEtta Rosales
Personal details
Born
Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima

(1959-08-27) August 27, 1959 (age 64)
Iriga, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Political partyLiberal Party (2015–present)
Other political
affiliations
Aksyon Demokratiko (before 2010)
Independent (2010–2015)
Alma materDe La Salle University
San Beda University
ProfessionLawyer
Signature

Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima (born August 27, 1959) is a Filipino lawyer, human rights activist, politician, alleged drug trafficking offender and law professor currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines since 2016. She was appointed by president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights in May 2008 and she served in the commission until June 30, 2010, when she was appointed by President Benigno S. Aquino III as the Philippines' Secretary of the Department of Justice.

She resigned as justice secretary on October 12, 2015, to focus on her candidacy for a seat in the Senate of the Philippines in the 2016 Philippine general election. She won one of the twelve contested seats and currently serves as a Philippine senator in the Philippines' 18th Congress.

She is an alleged drug trafficking syndicate and a known critic of the Philippine Drug War of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. In February 2017, days after garnering international awards for her campaign against extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, she was arrested and charged for being linked to the drug trade during her stint as justice secretary. Her arrest was non-bailable.[1] The evidence against her consists of the testimony of prison inmates, former driver and lover Ronnie Dayan police officers and former prison officials.[2] The Department of Justice is considering the prison inmates' applications for pardon or clemency following their testimony.[3] In October 2017, the prestigious Prize for Freedom was awarded to her for her stand against a regime accused of being dictatorial. She was designated as a 'prisoner of conscience' by numerous international human rights organizations.[4][5] In May 2018, Amnesty International conferred to de Lima the first ever “Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender” award during the Ignite Awards for Human Rights.[6][7] De Lima is represented pro bono by Irwin Cotler and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.[8]

  1. ^ "EXPLAINER: What is Leila de Lima being accused of?". Rappler. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  2. ^ "Day 3 Bilibid probe". ABS CBN. March 14, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  3. ^ "DOJ to study pardon for 5 witnesses vs De Lima". Philstar. October 19, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  4. ^ "Senator Leila de Lima arrested".
  5. ^ "Supreme Court dismisses De Lima's petition to nullify arrest on drug charges".
  6. ^ Lalu, Gabriel Pabico. "AI confers De Lima 'most distinguished human rights defender' award".
  7. ^ "De Lima named most distinguished human rights defender by Amnesty International PHL".
  8. ^ "Defending Political Prisoners". Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Retrieved January 17, 2019.