Senator Leila M. de Lima thanked her kababayans in Camarines Sur, Bicol for their overwhelming support, allowing her to dominate the senatorial race in the said province.
De Lima, who hails from Iriga City, Camarines Sur, said she appreciates how they keep their trust and faith in her despite her current situation.
“Sa mga tugang ko sa Camarines Sur: Dios Mabalos po sa gabos na nagsimbag sa pangapudan ta. Lalong nagkusog an boot ko na maaraman na kadto pa man an suporta nindo sakuya dai nagbabago. Mabalos, ta dawa arog kaini an sitwasyon ko, ako pa man guiraray an nangenotan sa satuyang probinsya,” she said.
(I thank everyone who responded to our call. It gives me further courage knowing that your support remains the same. Thank you for supporting me despite my current situation.)
“Dai nindo tabi paglingawan bilang mga taga Camarines Sur, mga Bicolano, lamang kita sa prinsipyo. Bako ni an huri. Puon pa sana ini. Liwat, Dios Mabalos saindo gabos. Laban lang!” she added.
(Let us not forget that as citizens of Camarines Sur, as Bicolanos, we are rich in principle. This is not the end yet. We are just getting started. Again, thank you very much. Keep fighting!)
De Lima topped the Senatorial race in Camarines Sur, garnering 499,974 votes, followed by Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero and Sen. Risa Hontiveros in second and third spots, respectively.
De Lima has been detained since Feb. 24, 2017 due to trumped-up illegal drug charges based mostly on false testimonies of convicted criminals as a result of her courage in speaking against the oppressive policies of the Duterte regime.
In his affidavit, notarized on April 30, 2022 in Pasig, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge and Prosecution witness Rafael Ragos, retracted his previous statements, affidavits, and court testimonies that he delivered money to De Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan.
Prior to Ragos’s retraction, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa also recanted all of his allegations against De Lima in relation to illegal drug trade in a counter-affidavit filed at the DOJ on April 28. (30)