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Philippines - May 2023
Former opposition senator Leila de Lima partially acquitted
Former Senator Leila de Lima was acquitted in the second of three drugs cases against her in a case widely held to be politically motivated. De Lima, a vocal critic of ex-president Duterte’s “war on drugs”, has been in detention for more than six years. While the acquittal offers hope for her release and signifies a “long-overdue step towards justice,” human rights groups note that the government should launch an inquiry and implement reforms to prevent such politicization of the justice system.
Sources: Inquirer, The Diplomat, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch
Primary categories and factors
![Access to Justice](https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/themes/custom/gsod/src/assets/sub-attribute-ghost.png)
![Judicial Independence](https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/themes/custom/gsod/src/assets/sub-attribute-ghost.png)