Leila de Lima is escorted by the Senate's security personnel after a court ordered her arrest
Manila:
A Philippines Senator and staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs was arrested on Friday by law enforcement agents after charges were filed in court alleging she received money from drug dealers inside the country's prisons.
Senator Leila de Lima, her former driver and bodyguard and a former national prison official were ordered to be arrested by a local court after a judge found merit in criminal charges filed by the Department of Justice last week.
"The truth will come out and I will achieve justice. I am innocent," she told reporters shortly before law enforcers escorted her away from her office.
She is facing two more drug-related charges in the same court.
De Lima, 57, had sought refuge at the Senate on Thursday night after avoiding police when they tried to arrest her at her home.
She slept in her Senate office overnight then gave herself up to armed officers in flak jackets who put her in a van and drove into morning rush hour traffic apparently towards police headquarters.
De Lima is accused of orchestrating a drug trafficking ring when she was justice secretary in the previous administration of Benigno Aquino.
But de Lima and her supporters insist she is innocent and that Duterte orchestrated the charges to silence her as well as intimidate anyone else who may want to speak out against him or his drug war.
De Lima this week branded Duterte a "sociopathic serial killer" as she called for ordinary Filipinos to stand up in opposition to his drug war, which has seen more than 6,500 people killed since he took office eight months ago.
Amnesty International said Thursday that it would regard de Lima as a prisoner of conscience.
"The arrest of de Lima is a blatant attempt by the Philippine government to silence criticism of President Duterte and divert attention away from serious human rights violations in the 'war on drugs'," it said.
But Duterte's aides said de Lima's imminent arrest showed even the most powerful people would be brought to justice if they broke the law.
"The war on illegal drugs targets all who are involved and the arrest of an incumbent senator demonstrates the President's strong resolve to fight pushers, peddlers and their protectors," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.
(with inputs from Reuters and AFP)
Senator Leila de Lima, her former driver and bodyguard and a former national prison official were ordered to be arrested by a local court after a judge found merit in criminal charges filed by the Department of Justice last week.
"The truth will come out and I will achieve justice. I am innocent," she told reporters shortly before law enforcers escorted her away from her office.
She is facing two more drug-related charges in the same court.
De Lima, 57, had sought refuge at the Senate on Thursday night after avoiding police when they tried to arrest her at her home.
She slept in her Senate office overnight then gave herself up to armed officers in flak jackets who put her in a van and drove into morning rush hour traffic apparently towards police headquarters.
De Lima is accused of orchestrating a drug trafficking ring when she was justice secretary in the previous administration of Benigno Aquino.
But de Lima and her supporters insist she is innocent and that Duterte orchestrated the charges to silence her as well as intimidate anyone else who may want to speak out against him or his drug war.
De Lima this week branded Duterte a "sociopathic serial killer" as she called for ordinary Filipinos to stand up in opposition to his drug war, which has seen more than 6,500 people killed since he took office eight months ago.
Amnesty International said Thursday that it would regard de Lima as a prisoner of conscience.
"The arrest of de Lima is a blatant attempt by the Philippine government to silence criticism of President Duterte and divert attention away from serious human rights violations in the 'war on drugs'," it said.
But Duterte's aides said de Lima's imminent arrest showed even the most powerful people would be brought to justice if they broke the law.
"The war on illegal drugs targets all who are involved and the arrest of an incumbent senator demonstrates the President's strong resolve to fight pushers, peddlers and their protectors," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.
(with inputs from Reuters and AFP)
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