Leila de Lima

Early life

She is the eldest daughter of the former Philippine COMELEC Commissioner Vicente de Lima and Norma Magistrado. She was born and raised in Iriga of the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. De Lima's aunt, Julie de Lima, married Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, making him Leila de Lima's uncle by marriage.

De Lima completed her basic education at the La Consolacion Academy (now La Consolacion College), where she graduated as class valedictorian. She graduated in 1980 from the De La Salle University with an AB History degree. She finished her Bachelor of Laws (Salutatorian) degree at the San Beda College of Law in 1985.

Legal career

De Lima began her legal career as legal staff to Supreme Court associate justice Isagani Cruz from 1986 to 1989. She joined the Jardeleza Sobreviñas Diaz Hayudini and Bodegon Law Offices in 1989 where she served as a junior associate. She worked in the same position at the Jardeleza Law Offices from 1991 to 1993.

De Lima joined the Philippine government in 1993 as a clerk and secretary of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. She resigned in 1995 to return to private practice. She then joined Roco, Buñag, Kapunan and Migallos law firm as its junior partner.

In 1998 she set up her own firm, The De Lima Law Firm, and served as counsel in various election cases, most notable of which was the electoral protest of Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III in the 2007 Senate election over the 12th seat occupied by Miguel Zubiri. De Lima also served as a legal counsel to the campaign of Alan Peter Cayetano during his campaign in the Philippine Senate election, 2007. She was also a professor of law at the San Beda College of Law during her private practice.

Human rights commission

Under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Leila de Lima was appointed Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights. As human rights commissioner, de Lima investigated the Davao death squads, Jovito Palparan, and the Maguindanao massacre.

Justice secretary

When Benigno Aquino III took over, de Lima was tapped as Secretary of the Department of Justice under the President-elect's new Cabinet. On July 2, 2010, de Lima took over the helm of the Philippine Department of Justice. On August 27, 2015, Justice Secretary de Lima assisted Isaias Samson, an expelled Minister of Iglesia ni Cristo, in filing a case against the sect. Allegations that de Lima used her position as Justice secretary with regards to the New Bilibid Prison resulted in criminal complaints against her in 2017.

Senate

De Lima condemned the Philippine Drug War and urged the Philippine Congress to investigate. She called for an end of vigilante killings of drug suspects. On her privilege speech at Senate on August 2, she noted that "we cannot wage the war against drugs with blood..." De Lima laments the indifference of the new government to extrajudicial killings and warns that more innocent people will suffer if the killings fail to stop.

On August 17, 2016, the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte alleged that de Lima had been having an affair with her driver, Ronnie Dayan, who Duterte also alleged functioned as De Lima’s collector for drug protection money when she was the Justice secretary. Duterte also alleged that De Lima’s driver had been using drugs. Duterte later announced that he had in his possession wiretaps and ATM records which confirmed his allegations. He explained that he had received them from an unnamed foreign country. In September 2016, de Lima was removed from her position chairing a Senate Justice and Human Rights committee investigating extrajudicial killings. De Lima, later, admitted her relationship with Dayan.

Detention

In December 2016, de Lima received praise from international human rights advocates and journalists for her criticism of Duterte's Drug War despite political repression against her. On February 17, 2017, a local court pressed drug-related charges against de Lima. On February 23, a Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant against de Lima for allegedly violating the drug trafficking law. De Lima faces drug related cases for allegedly using her position as Secretary of Justice to acquire money from drug pushers to make their drug business operational even though they are imprisoned. De Lima turned herself in the following morning.

On March 16, 2017, the European Parliament condemned the wave of killings in the Philippines and called for De Lima's release. It expressed serious concerns that the offences Senator De Lima has been charged with are almost entirely fabricated. Amnesty International regards de Lima as a prisoner of conscience. Despite her imprisonment, de Lima continues to oppose the policies of Duterte and remains a member of the Philippine Senate and the Liberal Party. She was part of the debate regarding martial law. In late July 2017, de Lima was visted by members of the European Parliament and the Liberal International. She was unable to vote against the martial law extension because of her detention.