Jailed under Duterte, politician raises alarm about Philippine democracy at risk : NPR

Former Philippine Senator and human rights campaigner Leila de Lima, a high-profile critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly drug war, arrives at her hearing on

illegal drug charges at the Muntinlupa Trial Court in Manila on Aug. 26. Maria Salvador Tan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Maria Salvador Tan/AFP via Getty Images

Former Philippine Senator and human rights campaigner Leila de Lima, a high-profile critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly drug war, arrives at her hearing on

illegal drug charges at the Muntinlupa Trial Court in Manila on Aug. 26. Maria Salvador Tan/AFP via Getty Images A couple dozen diehard well-wishers came to cheer on former

Philippine Senator Leila de Lima in August after another one of her many court appearances. As she was led to the police bus taking her back to jail, the supporters yelled, "Free

her!" and "Fake evidence!" It happened to be on the eve of her birthday. Over cries from the crowd of "happy birthday," someone asked her birthday wish. "Always freedom and

vindication — soon," de Lima brightly replied. De Lima, who was the country's justice secretary from 2010 to 2015 and then a senator, turned 63 on Aug. 27. It was her sixth

birthday in jail. Supporters insist she is being framed for exposing abuses in then-President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs — the subject of an investigation at the

International Criminal Court into possible crimes against humanity. De Lima has neither been convicted nor exonerated of an array of allegations — including that she received

drug money — all of which she denies. Some of the drug-linked accusations have fallen apart, with the prosecution's witnesses retracting their statements. A range of people, from

Philippine human rights activists to American lawmakers, are advocating for de Lima's release. Though Duterte left office in June, de Lima's continuing detention after more than 5

1/2 years is testament to the enduring effects of Duterte's autocratic rule, her supporters say. The case highlights concerns about the state of democracy in the Philippines, and

whether it shows how the right to free expression — among other democratic guarantees — can be slowly dismantled. Human rights organizations and news reports have documented

extrajudicial killings of suspected drug users, targeting of journalists and stigmatizing of rights defenders as communist insurgents committed during Duterte's term from 2016 to

earlier this year. The funeral of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos in Caloocan on Aug. 26, 2017. Police say Delos Santos fought back during an anti-drug operation, but witnesses