De Lima 2nd Filipino to receive ‘Prize for Freedom’ award after Cory Aquino
Senator Leila De Lima is set to become the second Filipino to receive the “Prize for Freedom” award from the Liberal International (LI), the same organization that recognized former President Corazon Aquino.
De Lima will be awarded the “highest human rights honor” for being a “flag-bearer for human rights in the Philippines and beyond,” according to a statement from the LI quoted by a separate statement from the Senator on Thursday.
“De Lima was one of the first to be targeted by the hard-line [President Rodrigo] Duterte government for her outspoken criticism of the president’s targeted campaign of violence,” the LI reportedly said.
President Corazon Aquino was given the same award in 1987 for her “world-renowned advocacy of democracy, peace, and the empowerment of women.”
De Lima will receive the award during LI’s ceremony at Novotel Manila, Araneta Center in Quezon City on July 28.
The LI also reportedly denounced the detention of De Lima since February 2017, which it said is “motivated by politics.”
De Lima was also regarded as one of the Leading Global Thinkers for 2016 and 2017 by Foreign Policy magazine, and one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine in 2017, among others titles. /je
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