Former senator Leila de Lima, who was imprisoned under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, said his arrest is justice for the “thousands of Filipinos” who were “killed without justice.” 

Duterte was arrested on March 11 based on a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crime against humanity stemming from his “war on drugs” campaign. 

In February 2017, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Duterte administration filed three drug cases against De Lima, who was a sitting senator, before Muntinlupa courts. 

She was arrested and was detained for nearly seven years until her bail was granted in November 2023. All the three cases were dismissed by Muntinlupa courts. 

“This is deeply personal for me,” De Lima said in a statement about Duterte’s arrest. 

She said, “For almost seven years, I was imprisoned on fabricated charges, accused of crimes I did not commit—all because I dared to speak out against Duterte’s drug war. While I was behind bars, thousands of Filipinos were killed without justice, their families left to grieve with no answers, no accountability.”

“Today, Duterte is being made to answer—not to me, but to the victims, to their families, to a world that refuses to forget. This is not about vengeance. This is about justice finally taking its course,” she added. 

De Lima said, “I faced my case, knowing I was innocent. I stood before the courts because I had nothing to hide. Duterte now has to answer for his actions, not in the court of public opinion, but before the rule of law. This is how justice should work—those in power must be held to the same standards as everyone else.”

“To those who have fought this long and difficult fight—your voices mattered, your courage mattered, and today, the pursuit of justice continues,” she said.