Leila De Lima, a prominent opponent of former president Rodrigo Duterte's brutal "war on drugs," was released from police prison after more than six years, according to a Philippine court.
After a court granted De Lima bail on Monday, she appeared "triumphant." The activist, who was among the most vocal opponents of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his murderous war on drugs, was imprisoned on drug-related accusations that she claims were made up to intimidate her.
It was unclear right away when she would be allowed to go.
“Bail granted,” lawyer Filibon Tacardon said in a message sent to reporters. Outside the court, he told the AFP news agency: “We’re ecstatic, happy. Ma’am [de Lima] cried.”
When De Lima, 64, served as the justice minister from 2010 to 2015, she was accused of stealing money from prisoners at the biggest jail in the Philippines so they could sell narcotics.
Two of the three accusations against De Lima were dropped as a consequence of several witnesses, including prison gang leaders, dying or retracting their testimony.
Human rights organisations, international diplomats, and politicians have all revived calls for De Lima's release since President Ferdinand Marcos took power in June of last year.
De Lima had spent almost ten years looking into "death squad" executions that were allegedly planned by Duterte while he was the mayor of Davao City and in the early stages of his administration, prior to her arrest on February 24, 2017.
She carried out the investigations while she was the country's human rights commissioner and then as the Aquino administration's justice secretary from 2010 to 2015, which was before Duterte took office.
De Lima emerged as one of the few remaining opposition voices following her election to the Senate in 2016, which coincided with the rise of the populist Duterte.
After that, Duterte forced her out of the Senate and into a prison cell by accusing her of conspiring with criminals to operate a drug trafficking ring when she was the secretary of justice.
After running for office while incarcerated in May 2022, De Lima was defeated in her attempt for reelection.
The next month, Duterte announced his resignation as president, as he was legally prohibited from running for office a second time.
De Lima has maintained throughout the trial that the accusations made against her were fabricated as payback for criticising Duterte and his drug campaign, which claimed thousands of lives.
"It was agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue in near future," says Iran's former ambassador to IAEA
Officials say 40 veins discovered with 300 metric ton gold with every ton carrying 138 grams of yellow metal
"There is not going to be potential tariff war," says Mexican President Sheinbaum
Discovery becomes first proof that Paranthropus boisei, Homo erectus lived in same area, crossed paths
Putin says Ukraine might be able to make kind of "dirty bomb", conventional bomb laced with radioactive material
Bill ordering firms to take steps to prevent teens from accounts passes with 34 votes in favour and 19 against
