Philippine Court Acquits Critic of Duterte’s Drug War After 6 Years in Jail

This marks Leila de Lima’s second acquittal of three drug-related charges

Then-Philippine opposition Senator Leila de Lima arrives at a regional trial court for a brief personal appearance in Paranaque city, southeast of Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 24, 2017. AP Photo

Former Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, a vocal critic of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, was acquitted Friday in the second drug-related charge against her after serving six years in jail.

De Lima, 63, was arrested in 2017 on drug-related charges after she launched a senate investigation into violations committed during Duterte’s “war on drugs,” which human rights groups said may amount to “crimes against humanity.”