Leila de Lima, a Liberal Party (LP) spokesperson and former senator, has declared she will not run in the 2025 midterm elections. De Lima said that helping the Liberal Party and other initiatives continue to be her top priorities in an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo on Friday.
“That is my current decision. I will not be joining the electoral race for any position next year,” De Lima declared, addressing in both Filipino and English.
There are rumors that De Lima might change his mind when the formal deadline for submitting certificates of candidacy draws near. She did, however, stress that she is already quite busy with advocacy work, especially with the LP, and personal issues.
The former president Rodrigo Duterte and his justice secretary, Vitaliano Aguirre, were the targets of preparations De Lima revealed on June 30 to bring countercharges. She claims they investigated her on the basis of politically driven false accusations. Advocates for human rights believe that De Lima’s drug-related accusations, which she brought up in response to her criticism of Duterte’s war on drugs, were made up. She spent over seven years in prison. November 2023 saw her granted bail, and on June 24 she was found not guilty of any of the allegations.
De Lima also voiced her displeasure with the LP’s dismal showing in recent senatorial polls during the Friday interview. The Pulse Asia poll on senatorial preferences has not yet awarded top rankings to former senators Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan, as well as attorney Chel Diokno.
“It’s frustrating. We are presenting qualified, competent candidates—intelligent, hardworking individuals with strong track records and integrity. Yet, it seems to be an uphill battle, at least according to the surveys,” commented De Lima. “But the election is still far off, which is why the LP is preparing intensively.”
More contenders are anticipated to join the LP’s senate slate, however it is unclear if they will field a complete 12-member Senate slate. The LP aims to conduct a strategy meeting next month to examine ways to increase their candidates’ “acceptability and winnability.” “Ideally, it should be a complete slate, but it doesn’t need to be forced if it’s not possible. What’s important is that we secure a few seats,” said De Lima.
