THE news about one court's bail grant a few days ago unleashed a tidal wave of relief of the highest, most epic kind. Like torrential rain on parched land. Like a lifesaver tossed to a man drowning in midsea. Like a pickaxe and a sturdy rope appearing before a flailing mountain climber on a precipitous drop to the craggy abyss. After seven years that, for a jailed innocent, was the equivalent of eternity, former senator Leila de Lima finally posted bail and breathed the air of freedom.
PROMISE FULFILLED Former senator Leila de Lima waves to a group of churchgoers as she arrives at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in Manaoag, Pangasinan, on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO