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Senate comeback in 2025? De Lima speaks up on political plans

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Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Former Senator Leila De Lima greets supporters after presiding Muntinlupa RTC Judge Hon. Gener M. Gito granted her bail plea on November 13, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/11/22/20231113-delima-bail-granted-jc2.jpg"/><figcaption>Former Senator Leila De Lima greets supporters after presiding Muntinlupa RTC Judge Hon. Gener M. Gito granted her bail plea on November 13, 2023.<em> Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Former Sen. Leila de Lima on Wednesday said she plans to prioritize her personal life for now amid speculations about her political plans following her release from nearly 7 years of detention.</p><p>De Lima was serving her first Senate term in 2017 when she was arrested on drug charges that she insists were fabricated and orchestrated in retaliation for her investigations into deaths in anti-narcotics operations.</p><p>Of the 3 drug cases against her, 2 have been dismissed.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/23/17/de-lima-ordered-arrested-by-rtc">De Lima ordered arrested by RTC</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/13/23/drilon-wants-those-responsible-for-de-limas-incarceration-to-be-punished">&#x27;Dapat may managot&#x27;: Drilon wants those responsible for De Lima&#x27;s incarceration to be punished</a></li></ul><p>While incarcerated, De Lima ran for reelection in 2022 but lost.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/10/22/de-lima-vows-to-keep-fighting-as-loss-looms">‘Kailangan nating umusad’: De Lima vows to keep fighting as loss looms</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Wala po, ang dami lang nagtatanong, &#x27;Ano bang plano mo sa sa 2025? Babalik ka ba sa Senado?&#x27; Ang lagi kong sagot dyan, hindi ko pa yan binibigyan ng pansin,&quot; De Lima said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2886862" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>De Lima added that her focus right now is on rebuild her life.</p><p>&quot;Mas marami pang importante na dapat asikasuhin sa buhay ko, personal, family life, mga finances ko aayusin ko, parang nag-uumpisa ako from scratch,&quot; she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/15/23/de-lima-sees-acquittal-in-final-drug-case">De Lima sees acquittal, plans to write book about ordeal</a></li></ul><p>The former senator said she remains part of the minority Liberal Party, which she counts as the real &quot;opposition.&quot;<br/> <br/>&quot;I remain part of the Liberal Party — Opposition, para sa akin, yan ang opposition, ang Liberal party. I intend to be part of the opposition if at all that I remain to be in political arena.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/13/23/leila-de-lima-free-but-still-fighting">Leila de Lima free, but still fighting</a></li></ul><div><strong>&#x27;NORMALIZATION&#x27; PROCESS</strong></div><p>Despite identifying with the opposition, De Lima acknowledged that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. seems to be veering away from what she described as the &quot;strongman&quot; rule of Duterte.</p><p>&quot;[N]gayon parang mas may democratic space. Hindi pa yung talagang lubos-lubusan na democratic space, pero gradually bumabalik tayo doon,&quot; she said.</p><p>De Lima also cited the administration&#x27;s pivot back to friendlier relations with the US and the respect for the independence of the judiciary as part of a seeming &quot;normalization process&quot; of the Marcos administration.</p><p>She also lauded the Marcos administration for being open to studying a return to the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines left in 2019.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/14/23/de-lima-bail-proves-ph-judiciarys-independence-imee">De Lima bail proves PH judiciary&#x27;s &#x27;independence&#x27;: Imee</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Maganda at tama ang mga nagiging hakbang ngayon. Yung mga filing ng mga House resolution urging the executive dept to extend full cooperation sa ICC probers. Maganda rin yung pinapa-aral ng pangulo,&quot; De Lima noted.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/24/23/marcos-philippine-return-to-icc-under-study">Marcos says Philippine return to ICC &#x27;under study&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Marcos last week said the Philippines was studying a possible return to the ICC. He had previously shunned the ICC probe, with the President himself saying that the court had &quot;no jurisdiction&quot; in the Philippines and that its investigation was a &quot;threat to our sovereignty.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/18/23/marcos-icc-has-no-jurisdiction-over-ph-for-duterte-drug-war-probe">&#x27;Threat to our sovereignty&#x27;: Marcos won&#x27;t allow ICC in PH for Duterte drug war probe</a></li></ul>

Former Sen. Leila De Lima said her focus right now is to rebuild her personal life, adding she feels she is 'starting from scratch.'

Senate comeback in 2025? De Lima speaks up on political plans

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Senate comeback in 2025? De Lima speaks up on political plans

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 29, 2023 12:55 PM PHT

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