(We yield this space to the statement of human rights group Rise Up for Life and for Rights due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
AS HUMAN rights advocates and families affected by a sham “war on drugs”, Rise Up for Life and for Rights joins the call for the immediate release of Sen. Leila de Lima.
We always knew that the attacks on Senator Leila were politically motivated. In short time, we were also convinced that the criminal charges are flatly fabricated, with paid, manufactured, or coerced witnesses. Now, witnesses used to detain her and smear her reputation are speaking out; they gave false testimony, under the pressure and threats from inside the Duterte administration.
As women who have endured stigma and shaming because of our efforts to #StopTheKillings in the Philippines, we applaud Sen. Leila de Lima for staying the course and continuing to expose the evil of human rights violations under the current administration. Even as we have shared anger and grief with Senator Leila over the widespread and systemic killings and other human rights violations at the hands of bloody drug war operations, we have also shared a common quest to find justice.
Senator Leila has continued to be a voice of encouragement and hope, even from behind bars. Neither her detention nor efforts to besmirch her reputation have succeeded in weakening her stand on the side of families affected by drug war killings and other human rights violations. Instead, Senator Leila has increased her credibility with the human rights violation victims under the Duterte administration.
We stand with Senator Leila and urge other coerced witnesses to rescind their false testimonies. We call for the immediate release of Senator Leila. We are confident that she will continue to amplify our cry for justice for all the victims of the vicious “war on drugs.” Her freedom will strengthen our quest for accountability from the perpetrators of harassment, illegal arrests and extra-judicial killings under a sham drug war policy.
