Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal party-list) mourned the loss of one of the cats she adopted while in detention at Camp Crame, which kept her company during her detention.
The lawmaker said on Sunday, July 12, that one of her adopted cats, Otto, had “multiple seizures, collapsed, and could no longer be revived.”
“Ang sakit talagang mawalan ng fur baby,” De Lima wrote in a Facebook post.
She accompanied the post with photos of the orange-and-white cat, including a video of the feline sitting on top of a container.
De Lima’s post has garnered more than 22,000 reactions, nearly 700 comments and 241 shares on Facebook, withfellow animal lovers expressing their sympathies.
“Sending you isang mahigpit na yakap, Cong. Leila. We lost our [first] and favorite cat last year. He was the cat who turned us into cat people and because of him, we have rescued cats,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Pusa lang siya… but played a big role in the life of Ma’am Leila.. he’s the therapeutic cat… Otto,” another commented.
“Sigh… been rescuing and caring for these little creatures for so long, but I still cry with every single loss. Run to the Rainbow Bridge now, dear Otto! And sorry for your loss, Madam,” a different Facebook user wrote.
“I feel you, po. We have 28 dogs. Used to be 33. When the others left for rainbow heaven, the feeling [was] heart-wrenching… May Otto run free in rainbow heaven,” another Pinoy commented.
Otto’s story
In a 2024 interview, De Lima said she adopted five cats during her almost-seven-year stay at Camp Crame.
She said she was initially a “dog lover” and “hated cats” because her dogs did not like them.
However, she grew accustomed to their company when they “kept coming” to her quarters, especially during mealtime.
De Lima said there were many of them, and when she was finally released from detention, she brought her favorites with her, including Otto.
Otto, then a kitten, was given to her by a guard who asked her to adopt him because he had been left by his mother.
At the time, De Lima said she had just finished watching the movie “A Man Called Otto.” She decided to name the cat after the lead.
The lawmaker said the cats helped her stay sane during her detention and supported her mental health.
De Lima was detained in Camp Crame for nearly seven years on drug-related charges, which human rights advocates described as a “political persecution.”
Before her detention, she was a vocal critic of then-president Rodrigo Duterte‘s brutal drug war.
