De Lima dismayed with Otso Diretso poll defeat: 'that is not their loss. It is our loss.'

Senator Leila de Lima (REUTERS / MANILA BULLETIN)

Detained Senator Leila de Lima has expressed great disappointment that not a single candidate from Otso Diretso won a seat in the recent midterm polls.

“The Otso Diretso offered themselves up to serve the interests of the Filipino people – above all and with no reservations.” De Lima said as the partial and official results still showed no one from the opposition made it to top 12.

“They may have won no seats, but that is not their loss. It is our loss.” The senator added

The Otso Diretso slate include Sen. Bam Aquino, Rep. Gary Alejano, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, civic leader Sam Gutoc, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romy Macalintal, former senator Mar Roxas and ex-Rep. Erin Tanada.

On May 14 Macalintal, Hilbay, Gutoc, and Tanada already conceded defeat but promised to continue the fight for the country and Filipino people.

“We had a chance to elect brave, competent, independent-minded and compassionate people, who understood and were committed to the true meaning of ‘public service,’ but we, as a nation, turned their offer down,” De Lima said.

The detained senator said what happened is hard and painful loss.

 “Yes, it is another setback. Yes, this is no ordinary loss.” She said

“This loss was hard. Painful. But we should not give up. Because this fight is perhaps the most important fight of our entire history as a nation.” She added

Source: Leila De Lima