Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday received the Prize for Freedom award from Liberal International (LI), an international organization of liberal politicians.

Accepting the award were De Lima's eldest son, Israel, and other family members in a ceremony at Novotel Manila in Quezon City.

Liberal International head Juli Minoves said De Lima is the second Filipino to since former president Corazon Aquino in 1987.

Liberal International regards De Lima as a “flag-bearer for human rights in the Philippines”.

De Lima has been detained at the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame since February 2017 on allegations she is involved in illegal drugs which she has denied.

De Lima, a former justice secretary, is a critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on illegal drugs

where at least 4,o00 people have been killed since he assumed the position in July 2016. DMS