De Lima wants to help ICC probe into Duterte’s drug war

Former Philippine opposition senator Leila de Lima during an interview with The Straits Times in Quezon City, Philippines, on Dec 1, 2023. - ST

MANILA: Former Philippine senator Leila de Lima now walks free after over six years in jail, but she will keep on doing what likely sent her behind bars in the first place – investigating the deaths that happened during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times on Dec 1, de Lima, who is out on bail, said she intends to help the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) ongoing probe into Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign during his presidency from 2016 to 2022, when thousands of drug suspects died in police operations and vigilante-style killings.