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.

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.

Of the 3 drug cases against her, 2 have been dismissed.

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While incarcerated, De Lima ran for reelection in 2022 but lost.

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"Wala po, ang dami lang nagtatanong, 'Ano bang plano mo sa sa 2025? Babalik ka ba sa Senado?' Ang lagi kong sagot dyan, hindi ko pa yan binibigyan ng pansin," De Lima said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo.

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De Lima added that her focus right now is on rebuild her life.

"Mas marami pang importante na dapat asikasuhin sa buhay ko, personal, family life, mga finances ko aayusin ko, parang nag-uumpisa ako from scratch," she said.

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The former senator said she remains part of the minority Liberal Party, which she counts as the real "opposition."

"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.

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'NORMALIZATION' PROCESS

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 "strongman" rule of Duterte.

"[N]gayon parang mas may democratic space. Hindi pa yung talagang lubos-lubusan na democratic space, pero gradually bumabalik tayo doon," she said.

De Lima also cited the administration's pivot back to friendlier relations with the US and the respect for the independence of the judiciary as part of a seeming "normalization process" of the Marcos administration.

She also lauded the Marcos administration for being open to studying a return to the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines left in 2019.

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"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," De Lima noted.

• Marcos says Philippine return to ICC 'under study'

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 "no jurisdiction" in the Philippines and that its investigation was a "threat to our sovereignty."

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