Arrest warrant for top Philippine drug war critic

MANILA: An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for the highest-profile opponent of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, outraging her supporters who said the move was aimed at silencing her.

Sen. Leila de Lima, 57, a lawyer who has spent nearly a decade trying to link Duterte to death squads that have allegedly killed thousands of people, faces drug trafficking charges that could see her jailed for



life.

“I have no plans of fleeing and I have no plans to go in hiding. I will face all these charges,” a tearful De Lima told reporters at the Senate after a Manila court issued the arrest warrant.

De Lima said that although the warrant had been issued, it had yet to be served on her. So she planned to spend the night with her loved ones before returning to the Senate on Friday when she would likely be arrested.