Leila de Lima

Early life and education

De Lima was born on August 27, 1959, in Iriga, Camarines Sur, where she was raised. She is the eldest daughter of former Philippine Commission on Elections commissioner Vicente de Lima and Norma (née Magistrado).

De Lima completed her basic education at La Consolacion Academy (now La Consolacion College Iriga), graduating as class valedictorian. She graduated in 1980 from the De La Salle University with an AB History and Political Science degree. She finished her Bachelor of Laws (Salutatorian) degree at the San Beda College of Law in 1985. She placed eighth in the 1985 Philippine Bar Examinations with an 86.26% bar rating.

Legal career

De Lima began her career as a staff member of Supreme Court Associate Justice Isagani Cruz from 1986 to 1989. She subsequently entered private practice in the 1990s, specializing in election law. She also taught law at San Beda College of Law from 1986 to 1994 and from 2006 to 2007 and worked as secretary of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal from 1993 to 1995.

Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights (2008–2010)

Leila de Lima was appointed as the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, serving from 2008 to 2010. Her two-year term was marked by high-profile cases such as the Davao Death Squad, human rights cases against general Jovito Palparan, and the Maguindanao massacre in 2009.

Secretary of Justice (2010–2015)

In 2010, President Benigno Aquino III offered her the position of justice secretary, which she accepted. Her first high-profile case was the Manila hostage crisis, where eight Hong Kong nationals were killed. De Lima led the Incident Investigation and Review Committee that examined the botched police rescue; the panel's report recommended sanctions and criminal charges against several officials deemed responsible for mishandling the crisis.

In December 2010, following President Aquino's order, she oversaw the dropping of charges against the "Morong 43", a group of 43 health workers who had been arrested in 2010 under suspicion of rebellion. The Department of Justice (DOJ) withdrew the cases after evidence emerged that the 43 had been illegally arrested and detained, leading to the release of most of the detainees.

In November 2011, de Lima directed the Bureau of Immigration to bar former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from leaving the country to seek medical treatment, citing pending investigations into Hello Garci scandal. This enforcement of a DOJ "watch list" travel order defied a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court that would have allowed Arroyo to travel. Days later, a joint DOJ–Commission on Elections panel chaired by de Lima filed an electoral sabotage case against Arroyo in connection with alleged cheating in the 2007 elections. A court in Pasay promptly issued an arrest warrant (electoral sabotage being non-bailable), and Arroyo was arrested and placed under hospital detention. The Supreme Court demanded that de Lima explain why she should not be cited for contempt for ignoring its TRO. In 2018, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the DOJ directive that de Lima had invoked to bar Arroyo's travel.

In early 2013, de Lima acted on the investigation of a shootout in Atimonan, Quezon, on January 16, 2013, in which 13 men were killed at a police-military checkpoint under suspect circumstances. A probe by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found it was a "rubout" rather than a legitimate shootout, rooted in a turf rivalry over illegal gambling. President Aquino approved the NBI's findings, and de Lima's DOJ filed multiple murder charges against the police and soldiers involved, including a senior police superintendent who led the operation. De Lima publicly stated that evidence showed the victims were summarily executed (none of the suspects had fired back), underscoring that the operation's apparent objective was to kill all the targets.

Her department secured the arrest of Jovito Palparan, a retired Army general accused of orchestrating the disappearance of student activists during the Arroyo administration. Palparan had been indicted in 2011 for the 2006 disappearance of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño and had gone into hiding. In August 2014, the NBI tracked down and arrested Palparan in Manila. He was later convicted of kidnapping in 2018, after de Lima's tenure.

De Lima became best known for her role in uncovering the pork barrel scam. In 2013, she directed the DOJ and NBI to investigate allegations that businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles had conspired with lawmakers to siphon off their discretionary funds into fake non-governmental organizations. The investigation gathered testimonies from whistleblowers and led to the filing of complaints, which were subsequently elevated to the Office of the Ombudsman for formal charges. By mid-2014, the Ombudsman indicted several prominent legislators – including senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla – on plunder and graft charges for allegedly funneling huge sums of public money to Napoles' bogus projects. All three senators were arrested and detained in 2014 as their cases went to trial. The DOJ's work with state auditors and the Ombudsman in the pork barrel cases was credited with "capping off" Aquino's anti-corruption drive, as it was the first time in Philippine history that multiple senior politicians were jailed pending trial for corruption. However, the pork barrel prosecutions also attracted allegations of selective justice. Critics highlighted that the charged officials were mostly from the opposition, saying that de Lima and the administration spared allies from similar scrutiny; only one political ally of Aquino's was implicated and he faced lesser offenses. De Lima responded by saying that the cases were pursued "without fear or favor" based on evidence. In August 2015, when the Supreme Court allowed Enrile (then age 91) to post bail on humanitarian grounds, de Lima openly criticized the court's decision – warning that it set a "banana republic" precedent of special treatment for the powerful.

During the 2015 Iglesia ni Cristo leadership controversy and its subsequent protests, de Lima was criticized for meddling in the internal affairs of the denomination.

Senator (2016–2022)

Elections

De Lima ran as a senatorial candidate for the 2016 general elections under the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid () of the Liberal Party. She finished 12th, after amassing more than 14 million votes.

In 2022, de Lima ran for reelection as senator under the Liberal Party, but lost after placing in the 23rd position (only the top 12 candidates are elected).

Tenure

De Lima condemned the Philippine drug war and urged Congress to investigate. In a privilege speech before the Senate on August 2, 2016, she called for an end to vigilante killings of drug suspects. De Lima lamented the indifference of President Rodrigo Duterte's government to extrajudicial killings and warned that more innocent people will suffer if the killings fail to stop.

De Lima chaired the Philippine Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. On August 22, 2016, she opened a Senate inquiry on extrajudicial killings and police operations under the drug war.

Imprisonment and trial (2017–2024)

On August 17, 2016, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte alleged that de Lima was 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 justice secretary. Duterte also alleged that Dayan had been using drugs. Duterte later claimed that he had in his possession wiretaps and ATM records which confirmed his allegations which he had received from an unnamed foreign country. In September 2016, de Lima was removed as chair of the Senate Justice and Human Rights committee investigating extrajudicial killings. She later admitted that she had a relationship with Dayan many years ago. Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre called on convicted drug lords, former prison officials and police officers as prime witnesses against de Lima in a congressional probe on illegal drug trafficking in the New Bilibid Prison. Dayan went into hiding after being advised by de Lima to not attend the House probe, but was captured days later.

Rolando Espinosa, then-mayor of Albuera, Leyte, corroborated allegations that de Lima benefited from the illegal drug activities of his son Kerwin in Eastern Visayas. Included in the mayor's affidavit was a picture of de Lima with Kerwin Espinosa in Baguio. Kerwin Espinosa later testified that he gave her a total of to help finance her senatorial campaign in 2016.

On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against de Lima and other members of the opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice". On February 10, 2020, she was cleared of all charges.

Retracted testimonies

In late April 2022, Kerwin Espinosa recanted his statements on the case, and said that he was coerced by the police after his father was killed in jail. The Department of Justice downplayed his recantation, saying it did not affect their case against de Lima, as he was not a witness. In October 2024, Espinosa testified before the House of Representatives that former police chief Bato dela Rosa forced him to link de Lima to the drug trade.

In early May 2022, Rafael Ragos, former Bureau of Corrections director general and another witness in de Lima's drug case, recanted his testimony. Ragos previously testified that de Lima accepted from him via drug lord Peter Co, while she was Secretary of Justice, and that it was later used to fund her senatorial campaign in 2016. Ragos alleged that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II coerced him to lie to implicate de Lima. Aguirre denied the accusation.

Co-accused Ronnie Dayan also recanted his testimony in May 2022. Dayan alleged that Representative Reynaldo Umali had coerced him to lie in his 2016 testimony in Congress.

In October 2023, former police officers PMaj. Rodolfo Magleo and PSgt. Nonilo Arile retracted their testimonies against de Lima.

Detention and legal proceedings

On February 17, 2017, a court pressed drug-related charges against de Lima. On February 23, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court issued an arrest warrant against de Lima for allegedly violating the drug trafficking law. De Lima faced 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 were imprisoned. De Lima turned herself in the following morning of February 24, 2017. She was referred to as a 'prisoner of conscience' by numerous international human rights organizations.

On February 5, 2018, the Ombudsman of the Philippines cleared de Lima from all charges of financial terrorism and violation of the anti-graft law. On February 20, during the World Day of Social Justice, all ethics complaints filed against de Lima were thrown out by the Philippine Senate.

On March 3, 2018, de Lima sought the approval of the court to let her attend the impending impeachment trial against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. On March 10, a court approved de Lima's medical furlough due to problems in her liver. On March 13, the self-confessed drug lords were freed by the government due to 'lack of evidence'. On April 5, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who initiated de Lima's imprisonment, resigned after evidences on corruption surfaced to media attention, along with his acquittal of the self-confessed drug lords.

On May 28, 2018, the Muntinlupa court denied de Lima's plea to attend the law graduation of her youngest son, Vincent. The court stated that de Lima 'cannot be given a different treatment as that of other prisoners'. On May 30, de Lima filed a motion to reconsider her plea to attend her son's graduation, citing convicted plunderer and ex-senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was allowed by the Sandiganbayan to attend his son's graduation in 2015. Hours before her son's graduation on June 3, Presiding Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 rejected de Lima's motion for reconsideration in attending to her son's law graduation.

On October 29, 2018, de Lima filed with Ombudsman Samuel Martires complaints against Vitaliano Aguirre II and Menardo Guevarra for violation of section 10(f) of RA 6981, the "Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act." The Ombudsman, however, in 2019 and 2020, dismissed the complaints which were reversed. In 2023, the Court of Appeals remanded the case. Accordingly, De Lima pleaded for the investigation of her cases.

On June 6, the Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld the 'constitutionality' of de Lima's arrest based on drug charges filed by Aguirre, blasting calls from international human rights organizations. The court added that 'no further pleadings will be entertained', effectively blocking all remedies for release. On August 6, the Supreme Court denied de Lima's plea to allow her to join the Senate debates regarding Duterte's initiative to withdraw the Philippines from the International Criminal Court. On August 10, 18 months after her imprisonment, de Lima was finally arraigned in the drug cases established by the Department of Justice.

On August 3, Ronnie Dayan formally refused to testify against her alleged 'disobedience case'.

On October 8, 2022, de Lima survived an attempted hostage taking inside Camp Crame after detainees said to be linked with the Abu Sayyaf Group stabbed a police officer. Police reported that de Lima was safe and that the officer was hospitalized.

The leader of the hostage-takers, Abu Sayyaf terrorist Anduljihad "Idang" Susukan, was delivered in August 2020 to Mayor Sara Duterte in Davao City by MNLF leader Nur Misuari, flying in from Jolo, Sulu in a private jet.

Thereafter, the Duterte Administration ordered Susukan to be detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, the same detention center where De Lima was imprisoned. Susukan was kept in Camp Crame until the day he attempted to take De Lima hostage with two other Abu Sayyaf members.

Recognition and calls for release

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 continued to oppose the policies of Duterte and remained a member of the Philippine Senate and the Liberal Party.

On March 29, 2018, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) called for de Lima's release due to the insufficiency of evidence filed against her.

In late July 2017, de Lima was visited by members of the European Parliament and the Liberal International. In September, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) demanded de Lima's immediate release and the restoration of human rights in the Philippines. In the same month, de Lima's ally in the Senate, Risa Hontiveros, caught justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II drafting fabricated charges against her through text messages during a hearing on the deaths of minors caused by the Philippine drug war. The same tactic was used by him against de Lima, which led to her arrest. In November 2017, de Lima was awarded the Prize for Freedom by Liberal International, becoming the second Filipino to receive the prestigious award after Corazon Aquino. On December 5, 2017, she was again awarded with the Leading Global Thinker award by Foreign Policy for the second consecutive year.

On February 1, 2018, de Lima topped Asian Correspondent's list of five prominent Southeast Asian leaders and human rights defenders who are facing charges for defying the norm. On February 3, de Lima was dubbed as the "conscience of our time" by an independent news agency. On February 20, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) called for de Lima's immediate and unconditional release and cited her 'heroism' against corruption and autocracy. It was followed by the Senate minority bloc, liberal members of the House of Representatives, and Amnesty International pushing anew for her release. On April 20, de Lima was named by Fortune magazine as one of the 'World's 50 Greatest Leaders' for 2018. On May 29, Amnesty International conferred to de Lima its first ever Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender award during the Ignite Awards for Human Rights. She was also declared one of the world's "Women Human Rights Defenders Under Threat". On de Lima's birthday on August 27, Amnesty International called for the dropping of charges again, adding that she is a 'prisoner of conscience'. Opposition lawmakers also called for her release.

On June 5, 2020, Amnesty International called on Philippine authorities to unconditionally release de Lima. It also called for them to end unreasonable restrictions imposed on her; permit communication with her family, lawyers, staff and doctors; and allow her to undertake her role as an elected legislator and a human rights defender.

Statements from detention

Since October 2017, de Lima released numerous statements while in prison condemning the death toll of the Philippine drug war which by then had killed 14,000 people, mostly minors.

In her 94th letter while in prison on May 29, 2018, de Lima stated "People choose to be passive, perhaps because they feel responsible for voting for him—but no. You are not responsible for what he does after you vote for him. You are, however, responsible for letting him get away with things like this with your silence. By electing him, he has not bought your souls and conscience—on the contrary, he now owes you his accountability."

Court decisions

205 (17-166) 206 (17-167) People of the Philippines v. Leila De Lima y Magistrado and Jose Adrian Tiamson Dera aka "Jad de Vera" and "Jad" (17-166) People of the Philippines v. Leila M. De Lima, Franklin Jesus B. Bucayu, Wilfredo G. Elli, Jaybee Niño Manicad Sebastian, Ronnie Paloc Dayan, Joenel Tan Sanchez and Jose Adrian Tamson Dera (17-167) (17-166) (17-167) Liezel Aquiatan (17-166) Gener Gito (17-167) On January 5, 2022, the Ombudsman dismissed bribery complaints filed in 2018 against de Lima and Ronnie Dayan, citing lack of probable cause to indict the two, in connection with accusations that de Lima received a total of from Kerwin Espinosa, allegedly through Dayan, on four separate occasions in 2015–2016. The ruling was only made public in August.

On May 27, 2022, Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 dismissed the petition to cite de Lima and her legal counsel, Filibon Tacardon, in indirect contempt over their statements on the testimonies of prosecution witnesses, citing lack of merit and rendering other pending incidents as moot and academic.

Release on bail and acquittal

On November 13, 2023, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206 Judge Gener Gito granted de Lima's petition for bail on her remaining drug charge, guaranteeing her release after six years in detention. She was released from Camp Crame that evening after paying a bond of .

Following her release, de Lima held a press conference at Novotel Manila Araneta City in Quezon City, during which she stated that she forgave Duterte but was considering whether to file counter-complaints regarding the accusations against her. After staying overnight in Quezon City, she then went on a pilgrimage to Manaoag, Pangasinan, the next day and reunited with her family in Iriga on November 15.

On June 24, 2024, Judge Gito granted de Lima's petition for demurrer to evidence on her third and last charge involving her alleged conspiracy in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison, eventually dismissing the case and acquitting her from all criminal cases.

On the same day, the Quezon City RTC Branch 76, granting her petition for certiorari against the Metropolitan Trial Court, dismissed two disobedience cases against her, which was filed for defying, along with Dayan, the House inquiry into the said drug trade. De Lima was reportedly detained for 2,321 days, longer than the penalty for disobedience—with the maximum of six months.

In May 2025, the Court of Appeals voided de Lima's acquittal in 2023 but let her remain free while it remanded the case to the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 and ordered the judge to write a new decision, resulting in an acquittal the following month. An attempt by the Department of Justice panel of prosecutors led by Ramoncito Ocampo to appeal the decision was criticized by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla for "following a political agenda, not a legal agenda", instructing Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon to "stop the foolishness of these people under us". By July 23, 2025, Ocampo and the prosecutor panel withdrew their filed motion.

Post-imprisonment (since 2024)

On December 4, 2023, de Lima was designated as the official spokesperson of the Liberal Party (LP / Liberal), having previously been its vice president for policy, platform, and advocacy. On December 13, she announced that she would serve as a professor of De La Salle University's Tañada-Diokno School of Law starting in January 2024, marking her return to teaching law.

In early January 2025, as the United States House of Representatives prepared to vote on a bill sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing an arrest warrant to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, de Lima signed a letter alongside 27 other individuals requesting US congressmen to vote "no", arguing that the ICC's other investigations might be affected if sanctions are issued, such as the investigation into the Philippine drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

When International Criminal Court judges said that the mental capacities of Duterte cannot be an obstacle his trial in The Hague, Leila de Lima said: "This ruling tells victims that in the reckoning of Duterte at the ICC, their voices will not be sidelined by technical evasions".

House of Representatives of the Philippines (since 2025)

Election

On September 20, 2024, de Lima accepted the lead nomination for the Mamamayang Liberal, the sectoral wing of the Liberal Party, for the 2025 Philippine House of Representatives elections, marking her return to national politics. Her co-nominees included former representatives Teddy Baguilat and Erin Tañada. Following the election on May 12, 2025, the party-list attained enough votes to secure a seat in the lower chamber, making de Lima a member-elect of the party-list for the 20th Congress. On her election, de Lima affirmed that she will sit as a "fiscalizer" in an "independent opposition". While she has expressed her openness to joining the majority bloc allied with President Bongbong Marcos, she stated that she would prefer joining a minority or an independent minority bloc.

Tenure

On May 14, 2025, House Speaker Martin Romualdez invited de Lima as well as fellow representative-elect Chel Diokno to serve in the prosecution panel in the impeachment of Sara Duterte. The invitation was seconded by Representatives Joel Chua (Manila–3rd) and Jay Khonghun (Zambales–1st), who noted the "background and legal expertise" of de Lima as being beneficial to the panel. She accepted the invitation, citing her commitment to "duty and principle" and affirming non-partisanship in her role, in a move that her colleagues regarded as a "boost" to the panel.

Political positions

De Lima was unable to vote against the congressional vote on extending martial law in Mindanao following the Battle of Marawi in 2017 because of her detention. In December 2017, de Lima criticized Duterte for his pivot to China, citing what happened in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Cambodia, where those countries were put by China in a debt trap after accepting Chinese loans, leading to China's economic control on those countries.

In January 2018, de Lima criticized Duterte after it was revealed that the national debt ballooned to and the debt-to-GDP ratio expanded into 36.4%. She also criticized the government for 'bowing down' to China amidst the South China Sea dispute and Chinese exploration in the Benham Rise.

De Lima sought Senate inquiries regarding the terms of loans of the government's infrastructure program, which indebted the country rapidly within a few months, and the anti-money laundering law compliance after the Ombudsman dropped all money laundering cases against Duterte due to his administration's threats. On April 4, de Lima filed a dismissal for the ouster petition filed against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. On May 13, de Lima joined liberal senators in condemning Sereno's ouster through a quo warranto petition, which de Lima said was an unconstitutional way to oust an impeachable officer.

On June 1, de Lima filed a resolution seeking to probe blacklisted Chinese firms that were accepted by the Duterte administration in the rehabilitation of Marawi despite being banned by the World Bank due to corrupt practices. On June 3, de Lima filed a resolution seeking to probe the state-sponsored immigration of Chinese citizens into the Philippines which caused the unemployment of Filipinos. On June 5, de Lima called solicitor-general Jose Calida, who had helped spearhead her arrest, as a 'role model in government corruption' after reports of a multi-million peso corruption scandal involving him surfaced.

On July 25, de Lima wrote a letter expressing her dismay on the ascension of Duterte ally and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as House Speaker. She added that Arroyo's rise to power via unconstitutional means has led to the rise of the country's 'true minority'. On July 31, de Lima called on Congress to pass a bill seeking to prohibit premature campaigning in elections. On August 28, she also pushed for a bill that seeks to increase the pension of qualified indigent senior citizens. She also sought the passage of the Pedestrian Safety Act.

On August 1, de Lima welcomed the indictment against Pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. On August 4, de Lima and other senators spearheaded the need to probe the conditions of displaced persons in war-torn areas of Mindanao, notably in Marawi. On August 7, de Lima pushed for the passage of the calamity leave bill, which would provide 5 days of calamity leave for workers. On August 11, de Lima filed a bill on incentivizing the use of solar energy in households. On the same day, she joined other senators in calling for a ban on single-occupancy vehicles on EDSA. On August 18, de Lima expressed the need to probe the Bureau of Immigration's loss from express lane fees.

On August 24, minority senators called on the Supreme Court to allow de Lima to be present during the ICC withdrawal case through video conference. On August 25, de Lima called for a Senate probe into delays in the free irrigation law's mandated implementing rules and regulations. On August 30, de Lima filed a bill that would raise the statutory age of rape to 18.

Writings

On February 22, 2018, de Lima announced that she would launch an e-book, entitled, Dispatches from Crame I on February 23, a day before the anniversary of her incarceration. On February 23, the e-book was officially launched at the office of the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City. It contained all the statements and letters written by her since she her imprisonment in 2017. It also contained statements from her supporters from various local and international organizations and personalities.

On June 1, 2018, a book by de Lima's spiritual adviser, Fr. Robert Reyes, entitled, Prisoner of Conscience Prisoner of Hope, was launched, containing various accounts from different personalities giving their views of and conversations with de Lima during her incarceration.

On de Lima's birthday on August 27, 2018, she released her second book, entitled, Fight for Freedom and Other Writings, which collects her speeches, letters, and notes, as well as letters of support from prominent personalities such as Vice President Leni Robredo, former Hong Kong Legislative Council Member Emily Lau, and Liberal International President Juli Minoves.

Personal life

De Lima was previously married for more than thirty years to lawyer Plaridel Bohol, who was her classmate in college, before their marriage was annulled. She has two children.

De Lima's aunt, Julie de Lima, married Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, making him her uncle by marriage. Another aunt, Lilia de Lima, served as the head of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and is a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.

Following her release, de Lima adopted five cats from Camp Crame who accompanied her constantly during her detention.

Electoral history

Honors and recognition

• MetroBank Foundation Professorial Chair for Public Service and Governance (2010)
• Excellent Public Servant Award (2010)
• Defender of People's Rights (2010)
• "Agent of Change" Award (2010)
• Most Outstanding Alumna Award 2010 by San Beda University
• Most Outstanding Alumna Award 2011 by San Beda University
• 2016 Global Thinker Award by Foreign Policy
• Top Most Influential People for 2017 by Time Magazine
• Women Human Rights Defenders for 2017 by Amnesty International
• The 2017 Prize For Freedom by Liberal International.
• 2017 Leading Global Thinker Award
• World's 50 Greatest Leaders for 2018 by Fortune Magazine
• 2018 Southeast Asia's Women to Watch by The Diplomat
• 2018 Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender Award by Amnesty International
• 2018 Women Human Rights Defenders Under Threat recognized by Amnesty International
• 2018 Human Rights Defenders recognized at the Human Rights Defender World Summit in Paris

References

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50. Dumaual, Jose Miguel. (October 11, 2024). "Kerwin Espinosa claims Dela Rosa coerced him to implicate De Lima in drug trade". ABS-CBN News.
51. Flores, Dominique Nicole. (October 11, 2024). "Kerwin Espinosa: Bato Dela Rosa forced me to confess, implicate De Lima in drug trade".
52. (May 2, 2022). "Another witness retracts drug charges vs De Lima". [[BusinessWorld]].
53. Buan, Lian. (2023-10-16). "2 more witnesses recant in De Lima's last case".
54. Buan, Lian. (2022-05-13). "Ronnie Dayan latest to recant in De Lima case".
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66. "De Lima wants to participate if Sereno impeach case goes to trial". ABS-CBN News.
67. "Court allows De Lima to leave jail for one-day medical check-up".
68. (March 13, 2018). "Prosecutors: No basis to bring Peter Lim, Kerwin Espinosa to trial".
69. "Dropping of raps vs Peter Lim, et al 'a slight bump' in war on drugs: DOJ". ABS-CBN News.
70. (April 5, 2018). "Duterte accepts resignation of Aguirre".
71. "Court denies De Lima plea to attend son's graduation". Philstar.com.
72. "Muntinlupa court denies De Lima's request to attend son's graduation".
73. Esguerra, Anthony Q.. (May 30, 2018). "De Lima asks court to reconsider her plea to attend son's graduation".
74. (June 3, 2018). "De Lima cries, writes emotional message on son's graduation".
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76. (June 6, 2018). "Supreme Court affirms De Lima's arrest on drug charges".
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81. Agoncillo, Jodee A.. (August 3, 2018). "Driver-lover refuses to testify against De Lima".
82. (October 9, 2022). "Leila de Lima survives hostage-taking in Camp Crame jail".
83. Alipala, Consuelo Marquez, Julie S.. (August 13, 2020). "Abu Sayyaf leader Susukan handed over to police; PNP chief thanks Misuari".
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87. (March 16, 2017). "JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION by the European Parliament". [[European Parliament]].
88. (February 24, 2017). "Philippines senator who branded President Duterte 'serial killer' arrested". [[The Guardian]].
89. (March 29, 2017). "A Philippine senator defies her president — from behind bars". [[The Los Angeles Times]].
90. (March 24, 2017). "Living in Fear, Duterte's Chief Critic Speaks Out From Philippine Jail". [[The New York Times]].
91. (March 3, 2017). "Defying Duterte". [[Vice News]].
92. (March 29, 2018). "De Lima named as among Southeast Asia's Women to Watch".
93. "Int'l legislators: Free De Lima unless strong evidence is 'rapidly forthcoming'".
94. (July 21, 2017). "Police bar Liberal International president from visiting de Lima". [[GMA Network]].
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96. (September 11, 2017). "LOOK: Aguirre caught texting to 'expedite' cases vs Hontiveros".
97. (July 29, 2018). "Leila de Lima accepts 'Prize for Freedom' award in absentia".
98. "De Lima warns against Chinese entry into local telco industry".
99. "De Lima tops list of 5 political prisoners in Southeast Asia".
100. (February 3, 2018). "[OPINION - Newspoint] The conscience of our time".
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105. De Jesus, Julliane Love. (February 23, 2018). "Lagman joins call for De Lima's immediate release".
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107. Lalu, Gabriel Pabico. (May 29, 2018). "AI confers De Lima 'most distinguished human rights defender' award".
108. (May 29, 2018). "De Lima named most distinguished human rights defender by Amnesty International PHL".
109. Roxas, Pathricia Ann. (November 16, 2018). "De Lima hailed at 2nd Human Rights Defenders World Summit in Paris".
110. (August 26, 2018). "Document".
111. (August 27, 2018). "Solid pa rin! Opposition lawmakers assure De Lima of support on 59th birthday".
112. (June 4, 2020). "Philippines: Human Rights Defender in Punitive Detention Should be Released".
113. (November 2017). "De Lima gets highest human rights award from Liberal International".
114. (February 23, 2018). "Dispatches from Crame I".
115. (February 24, 2018). "Dispatch from Crame: A year through her lens".
116. Bolledo, Jairo. (August 9, 2022). "In latest win, Ombudsman junks bribery complaints vs De Lima, ex-bodyguard". [[Rappler]].
117. Navallo, Mike. (August 9, 2022). "Ombudsman junks bribery raps vs De Lima, Ronnie Dayan". [[ABS-CBN News]].
118. Casilao, Joahna Lei. (May 27, 2022). "Muntinlupa RTC junks contempt case vs. De Lima, counsel". [[GMA News]].
119. Buan, Lian. (November 13, 2023). "Leila de Lima gets bail, freedom soon". [[Rappler]].
120. Bolledo, Jairo. (November 15, 2023). "EXPLAINER: Why court allowed Leila de Lima to post bail".
121. Bolledo, Jairo. (November 14, 2023). "De Lima on Duterte: 'God forgive him and God bless him'".
122. (November 14, 2023). "Why De Lima defied security advice, chose Manaoag as her first stop".
123. Carretero, Jose. (November 15, 2023). "De Lima reunites with family, supporters in Iriga City".
124. Bolledo, Jairo. (June 24, 2024). "Leila de Lima cleared of all drug charges". [[Rappler]].
125. Zurbano, Joel. (June 24, 2024). "De Lima cleared of all drug cases". [[Manila Standard]].
126. Torres–Tupas, Tetch. (June 24, 2024). "QC court dismisses disobedience case vs De Lima". [[Inquirer.net]].
127. Buan, Lian. (November 13, 2023). "Leila de Lima gets bail, freedom soon". [[Rappler]].
128. Bolledo, Jairo. (June 27, 2025). "Leila de Lima acquitted again of drug case after CA remand". [[Rappler]].
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130. Bautista, Jane. (July 24, 2025). "Ex-SC spox urges consequences for 'offensive' plea vs de Lima's acquittal". Inquirer Interactive, Inc..
131. (5 December 2023). "Leila de Lima is designated Liberal Party spokesperson". [[Rappler]].
132. Buan, Lian. (January 6, 2025). "Filipino advocates support ICC in face of potential US sanctions". Rappler Inc..
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134. Cupin, Bea. (September 20, 2024). "Leila de Lima guns for House seat as Mamamayang Liberal nominee". [[Rappler]].
135. (2025-05-14). "How de Lima sees her possible return to Congress: Poetic justice, vindication".
136. Gulla, Vivienne. (2025-05-14). "ML party-list nominee De Lima vows to be 'independent opposition, 'fiscalizer' at House". [[ABS-CBN News]].
137. Mendoza, Red. (2025-05-28). "LP, allies in House consolidating".
138. Chi, Cristina. "De Lima: Joining House majority bloc 'on the table,' but...".
139. Tolentino, Reina C.. (2025-05-14). "De Lima, Diokno accept invitation to serve as House impeach prosecutors".
140. Lalu, Gabriel Pabico. (2025-05-14). "Solons back de Lima, Diokno as impeachment prosecutors".
141. Jaucian, Michael B.. (2025-05-14). "De Lima: Decision to join panel comes from place of 'duty and principle'".
142. Lalu, Gabriel Pabico. (2025-05-14). "De Lima accepts House invitation to join impeachment prosec team".
143. Argosino, Faith. (2025-05-25). "De Lima to boost prosecution in Sara Duterte impeachment trial – solon".
144. (July 21, 2017). "European Parliament: Let de Lima do her duties". [[The Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
145. De Vera, Ben. (January 29, 2018). "Gov't's outstanding debt in 2017 hits record-high of P6.652 trillion".
146. "De Lima lectures Roque after shrugging off China's renaming of Benham Rise features". Manila Bulletin.
147. Leonen, Julius. (January 17, 2018). "De Lima says Duterte has become a 'Chinese governor'".
148. Ballaran, Jhoanna. (January 25, 2018). "De Lima hits gov't for bowing to China, 'belittling' PH scientists on Benham Rise issue".
149. (March 3, 2018). "De Lima seeks inquiry into terms of loans for 'Build, Build, Build' program". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
150. (March 3, 2018). "De Lima seeks inquiry into anti-money laundering law compliance".
151. "De Lima, Trillanes seek dismissal of ouster petition vs Sereno". Philstar.com.
152. "De Lima, Trillanes caution vs hasty resolution of Sereno ouster plea". ABS-CBN.
153. "Senators urge SC to review Sereno ouster". ABS-CBN News.
154. "De Lima wants probe on blacklisted Chinese firms tapped in Marawi rehab". ABS-CBN.
155. (June 3, 2018). "De Lima wants to probe influx of Chinese nationals into PHL".
156. (June 5, 2018). "De Lima calls Calida 'new role model in gov't corruption'".
157. (August 4, 2018). "Arroyo's election as Speaker led to rise of true minority —De Lima".
158. "Sen. Leila de Lima seeks passage of bill prohibiting premature campaigning".
159. "Bill increasing pension of qualified indigent senior citizens pushed". Manila Bulletin News.
160. "De Lima pushes passage of Pedestrian Safety Act". Manila Bulletin News.
161. Gonzales, Cathrine. (August 3, 2018). "De Lima: Napoles US indictment is 'welcome news'".
162. "De Lima seeks probe into condition of people displaced by Mindanao clashes". ABS-CBN.
163. Ager, Maila. (August 7, 2018). "De Lima proposes 5-day calamity leave".
164. (August 11, 2018). "De Lima files bill on incentivizing use of solar energy in households".
165. "Ban on single-occupancy vehicles on EDSA puts public at risk: De Lima". ABS-CBN News.
166. (August 18, 2018). "De Lima wants probe on BI's P869-M loss from express lane fees".
167. (August 24, 2018). "Minority senators to SC: Allow video conference for De Lima in ICC case".
168. (August 25, 2018). "De Lima bats for Senate probe into delays in free irrigation law's IRR".
169. (August 30, 2018). "De Lima bill raises statutory age of rape to 18".
170. (February 22, 2018). "De Lima to launch e-book featuring letters from detention". ABS-CBN News.
171. "Dispatches from Crame 1.pdf".
172. "Fr. Reyes launched book reflecting De Lima's life in detention".
173. "Press Release - De Lima: Message on the book launching of "Prisoner of Conscience, Prisoner of Hope"".
174. (August 25, 2018). "De Lima to celebrate 59th birthday in jail with release of 2nd book".
175. (August 25, 2018). "De Lima marks 2nd birthday in jail with new book".
176. "De Lima family".
177. (November 16, 2016). "Dayan, wife long separated before our relationship – De Lima". Rappler.
178. (July 30, 2009). "De Lima: So what if I'm Joma's kin?". [[ABS-CBN News]].
179. (December 16, 2017). "From power to prison: How 2017 changed the life of De Lima, family". Rappler.
180. (November 16, 2023). "Cat lady of Crame: De Lima's fur babies kept her company, and sane". Rappler.
181. "Senator Leila De Lima". Senate.gov.ph.
182. "TIME 2017 100 Most Influential People - Leila De Lima".
183. (November 1, 2017). "'Political prisoner' De Lima gets 'Prize for Freedom' award from int'l liberal groups". [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
184. "De Lima named 'Global Thinker' for second year for 'openly defying' Duterte drug war". The Manila Times.
185. "Magazine names De Lima among Southeast Asia's women to watch".