Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday, July 21, confirmed that she would seek reelection in the upcoming May, 2022 national elections.

De Lima, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, said the "political persecution" she is currently facing strenghtened her resolve to continue and fight for her advocacies in the Senate.

“Tatakbo akong muli. Hindi ako susuko. Tuloy ang laban (I will run again. I will not surrender. The fight continues),” De Lima said in a statement.

The Duterte critic has been detained since February 24, 2017 over allegations of involvement in illegal drugs. The senator has repeatedly denied the charges and attributed the case to her strong vocal opposition to the administration’s bloody war on drugs were thousands have been killed.

De Lima, a member of the Liberal Party (LP), said she is confident the charges against her would eventually be proven false and merely fabricated by her critics.

She noted that despite his “much-avowed campaign” to solve the country’s illegal drug problem, Duterte only managed to target small-time drug dealers and failed to go after big-time drug lords.

The lawmaker cited the case of Peter Lim, whom she alleged was able to escape through his “connections.”

“Ako na ang tanging kasalanan ay magsalita laban sa EJKs ay nakakulong, samantalang ang mga tulad ni Peter Lim na may warrant of arrest sa pagiging big-time drug lord ay hindi mo man lang kayang ipaharap sa korte at hustisya (My only sin was to speak out against the extrajudicial killings, yet Duterte cannot bring to the courts people like Peter Lim who has a standing arrest warrant for being a big-time drug lord),” she pointed out.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, an LP stalwart, said he supports and endorses De Lima’s plan to pursue reelection, saying he believes her bid will be a fight “for truth and justice.”

“In the face of growing threats to our rights and freedom, the nation needs leaders who will guard our democracy and champion human rights and social justice,” Drilon said.

“Even from behind bars, Sen. Leila continues to perform her duties and functions as senator, a mandate she received from more than 14 million Filipinos who voted for her in 2016,” he added.

Drilon noted that despite her four-year ordeal incarcerated, the former justice secretary bravely called out the administration’s inadequacy and continues to speak out on issues that matter to the Filipino people.

“Fierce and unyielding, Sen. Leila de Lima is a leader and a fighter we need today,” Drilon reiterated.