MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) The sister of a navy lieutenant who exposed alleged corruption in the military has filed a Writ of Amparo before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, saying there was a “very serious threat” to her life.

In the nine-page petition, Lieutenant Senior Grade Nancy Gadian’s sister, Nedina, said she received a text message from the junior officer last Saturday saying she could be in danger and that it was no longer safe to communicate with her by telephone.

“Ga, latest info, may order dawn na pag makita ako shoot-to-kill [Beloved sister, the latest information is that a shoot-to-kill order has been issued against me],” the text message read.

Gadian had been in hiding since last week, since she blew the whistle on the alleged misuse of a P46-million fund for the 2007 edition of the annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) war games between Filipino and American soldiers.

“There is a very serious threat to life, liberty and security of Petitioner’s sister… Ostensibly, the threats to Petitioner’s sister are meant to cow, intimidate, silence and prevent her from informing the public about the alleged corruption in the Balikatan exercises,” the petition read.

Named respondents in the petition were: Military Chief Lieutenant General Victor Ibrado; Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez; Colonel Joel Ibanez, Chief of Staff of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom); Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Dacanay, Management and Financial Officer of Westmincom; and retired Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, former Westmincom chief.

Gadian had claimed that Cedo was among those who misused the P46-million Balikatan fund.