Former senator Atty. Leila De Lima talked about faith, justice, and women empowerment in a talk organized by the UST Central Seminary on March 31, 2025, the last day of National Women’s Month, at the Buenaventura G. Paredes, O.P. building.
On faith and working behind bars
In February 2017, barely a year in her term as a senator, De Lima was imprisoned after being slapped with drug-related charges.
She recalled her experience and the challenges she faced in her prison at Camp Crame, where she mentioned that faith was a piece that nourished her strength for almost seven years. “The nights were long, the silence unbearable. And yet, I held on. I clung to faith. I created routines to keep me busy to fight off depression,” she said.
Nonetheless, public service must go on. “I kept working sa pamamagitan ng papel at ballpen, ipinasa ko ang mga panukalang batas o mga amendments nito,” she said, underscoring that it was in that confinement where she passed the law institutionalizing for peace and also the Magna Carta for the Poor.
According to De Lima, women are no strangers to injustice. “Justice is about being seen, heard, and treated with dignity. As women, we are no strangers to injustice. We are told to keep quiet; we are expected to endure [yet we rise in the most painful circumstances].
She was later vindicated in 2023. After regaining her freedom, she headed to the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in Pangasinan to fulfill her promise to Mary once she is released.
Breaking barriers
She lauded the increasing presence of women justices in courts: 56% in trial courts, 77% in Court of Tax Appeals, 45% in the Court of Appeals, and 35% in Sandiganbayan. She called it a sign of progress as women continue to push the boundaries of public service. “These women justices bring not just their legal expertise but their invaluable perspectives, empathy, and understanding,” De Lima said.
“They are shaping a justice system that is more compassionate, inclusive, and fair. They serve as proof that we are making progress not just in law but in breaking barriers across fields,” she said.
De Lima is a public servant, lawyer, professor, human rights activist, and politician. She took the helm of the Commission on Human Rights from 2008 to 2010, then appointed as the 56th Department of Justice secretary. She became a senator from 2016 to 2022.
