Pangilinan, other personalities renew call for De Lima's freedom

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan has renewed his call for the immediate release of Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima from continued unjust detention which he said has compromised her health.

Pangilinan demanded for De Lima's freedom after the lady Senator requested for an emergency medical furlough due to bouts of headaches and persistent generalized weakness.

"Nag-aalala kami sa kalagayan ni Sen. Leila. Over 1,500 days of unjust detention will take its toll on anyone - and now it's affected Sen. Leila's health. This is a severe injustice and a violation of basic human rights," his Twitter post read.

"Dagdag sa aming panawagan na makalaya na siya ang dasal para sa kanyang kalusugan. We add prayers for her health to our calls for her freedom. Parahay ka tabi, Sen. Leila!" Pangilinan added.

It may be recalled that in her four-page Motion for Medical Furlough, De Lima asked the courts to allow her to go on an emergency medical furlough and hospital confinement in order to undergo further medical examination.

Pangilinan said that he is confident that De Lima will get through the challenges she is experiencing right now because she is a strong woman.

"We know Sen. Leila is a strong woman - an oragon through and through, and we believe she can recover so long as she's given the urgent medical attention not easily accessible for persons deprived of liberty," he said.

Meanwhile, other personalities including broadcast journalist Ces Oreña-Drilon, Philippine Daily Inquirer's columnist Gideon Lasco and singer Leah Navarro also took to Twitter to call for De Lima's release.

To express their solidarity with De Lima, Lasco tweeted "Free Leila de Lima now!" while Drilon said the former justice secretary "should be set free permanently. Period."

Navarro, meanwhile posted: "#FreeLeilaNow Sen. Leila de Lima should be released from her illegal detention this minute. If she's not feeling well, send her home! This cruelty shouldn't be visited on the innocent."

"Having visited Sen. Leila in Crame, it's true that her (illegal) detention quarters are terribly uncomfortable. She doesn't deserve this inhumane treatment! She needs freeing!" Navarro added.

Likewise, many netizens and supporters of De Lima expressed their concern and prayers for her immediate full recovery.

De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, was acquitted in one of her three trumped-up drug cases lodged before Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC), Br. 205 and has consistently maintained her innocence of all these cases.