De Lima named as among Southeast Asia's Women to Watch

An Asia-Pacific news analysis magazine has named Senator Leila de Lima as one of Southeast Asia's "Women to Watch" for challenging the Duterte administration even while in detention.

As part of International Women's Day on March 8, The Diplomat included the staunch Duterte critic's name in a list of five "prominent" women—which includes Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi—making themselves heard in the region, where gender inequality persists.

"She has continued her fight against the Duterte administration from behind bars and inspired progressive Filipinos and international human rights activists alike, including Pope Francis," The Diplomat's Erin Cook said of De Lima. 

"Her refusal to stay quiet is an important message often obscured that while Duterte continues to enjoy high polling and support in the country, there is a robust resistance determined to make the Philippines safe."

Foreign news website Asian Correspondent has also named De Lima as among Southeast Asia's "power women," calling her the "flag-bearer for human rights in the Philippines and beyond."

De Lima, a former Justice secretary, has been detained at a police camp since February last year over allegations that she received money from alleged drug lords in the national penitentiary for use in her senatorial campaign in 2016. 

Her arraignment, the formal reading of the charges, has yet to take place after postponements over pending motions from both her lawyers and her accusers. 

The Diplomat noted that De Lima and President Rodrigo Duterte have been "enemies for years."  

When De Lima was chair of the Commission on Human Rights, she launched an investigation into death squads allegedly led by then-mayor Duterte in Davao City. 

When she became senator in 2016, she called for an investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings under now-president Duterte's administration. 

"In a particularly vicious and misogynistic series of attacks, De Lima was accused by Duterte and his supporters of being engaged in sexual affairs and importing drugs and arms into the country," The Diplomat recalled. 

In a Twitter post, Human Rights Watch Deputy Director for Asia Phelim Kine said De Lima's citation was "well-deserved."

#Philippines @SenLeiladeLima named "Southeast Asian Woman to Watch" by @Diplomat_APAC "She has continued her fight vs the #Duterte govt from behind bars and inspired Filipinos & intl human rights activists alike" https://t.co/ARwBv517x8 Well deserved @hrw https://t.co/sftLovSsbm

— Phelim Kine ?? (@PhelimKine) March 28, 2018

The HRW, supportive of De Lima as she battles drug charges, has urged the Philippine government to "drop its politically motivated prosecution" of the opposition lawmaker. 

Other "women to watch" cited by the magazine were Malaysian activist Maria Chin Abdullah, Indonesia's maritime affairs minister Susi Pudjiastuti, and Thailand's ousted first woman premier Yingluck Shinawatra. 

Brunei's top mixed martial arts fighter Tiffany Teo, Cambodia's opposition leader Mu Sochua, Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, Laos activist Ng Shui Meng, and Singaporean LGBT advocacy group leader Jean Chong were also named. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/KG, GMA News