Global Courant
MANILA — Lawyers for imprisoned Philippine human rights activist Leila de Lima have vowed to win her freedom after a judge who recently denied her bail stopped the trial on Friday.
De Lima, one of the most outspoken critics of former President Rodrigo Deterte and his deadly anti-drug war, has been incarcerated for more than six years on narcotics charges.
She says the three charges — two of which were dismissed — were fabricated to silence her.
Mr. Romeo Buenaventura, the trial judge on the remaining charges, resigned on Friday.
He said his decisions in the case are “vulnerable to allegations of bias and partiality,” according to a copy of the ruling AFP viewed.
The case will now be assigned to a new court which, according to de Lima’s lawyers, will hopefully grant bail, which Mr Buenaventura had refused on June 7.
De Lima’s lawyer Filibon Tacardon told AFP the campaigner is “steadfast in her determination that her vindication is near”.
Mr. Buenaventura faced calls from de Lima and other defendants to back down for failing to disclose that his brother had served as attorney for a witness who had since recanted his testimony.
The judge has rejected allegations of partiality.
De Lima, 63, is accused of taking money from inmates at the Philippines’ largest prison to enable them to sell drugs while she served as Justice Minister from 2010 to 2015.
Several witnesses, including prison gang bosses, died or retracted their testimony, resulting in the dismissal of two charges against de Lima.
The mother-of-two still faces life in prison if convicted on remaining charges.
Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June last year there were again calls from human rights organizations, foreign diplomats and politicians for De Lima’s release.
While in prison, she developed several health problems, including one that required surgery.
In October 2022, she was briefly held hostage during an escape attempt by three detained militants.
Before her arrest in February 2017, De Lima had spent a decade investigating “death squad” killings allegedly orchestrated by Mr. Duterte during his time as mayor of Davao City and in the early days of his presidency. AFP
