Leila Magistrado De Lima (born August 27, 1959) is the secretary of Philippine Department of Justice under the Administration of President Noynoy Aquino. She was the Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights until President Aquino chose her to be his Justice Secretary.

Leila De Lima

She is the eldest daughter of the former Philippine COMELEC

Commission on Elections (Philippines)

The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is one of the three constitutional commissions of the Philippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections, initiatives, referendums, and recalls....

 Commissioner Vicente de Lima and Norma Magistrado. She was born and raised in Iriga City.
. She has two sons, Israel and Vincent Joshua.

Educational Background

She graduated in 1980 from the De La Salle University

De La Salle University

De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...

 with an AB History (Political Science) degree. She finished Bachelor of Laws (Salutatorian

Salutatorian

Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...

) at the San Beda College of Law

San Beda College of Law

San Beda College of Law is the law degree-granting unit of San Beda College, a private, Roman Catholic college run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines....

 in 1985.

Commission on Human Rights

She was the Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights until President-elect Benigno Aquino III

Benigno Aquino III

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....

tapped her to be part of his cabinet for the position of Justice Secretary.

Secretary of Justice

On July 2, 2010, De Lima took over the helm of the Philippine Department of Justice. In her speech, she said that "the marching orders of President Benigno Aquino III were not mere election promises...Reform is a fundamental theme of this administration: first to rid ourselves of corruption and second to shore up our competence."

Reference